


Lost Soul

by Meowmonster84



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Future, Gen, Not Canon Compliant - The Trials of Apollo, We do not acknowledge that series here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 34,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28159629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meowmonster84/pseuds/Meowmonster84
Summary: Many know the story of Percy Jackson, a living legend in the Greek world. After stopping several major world catastrophes with his several allies, it was hard for him to go unnoticed, especially in the eyes of the universe. Yet, he is still mortal, and time continues to flow even after he departs from this world. What happens when the hero steps down? Who will be there to take up the mantle?
Relationships: Original Female Character & Original Female Character, Original Male Character & Original Female Character, Original Male Character & Original Male Character
Kudos: 2





	1. Anastasia - I didn't Sign Up For This

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I decided to post this series! I already wrote it a while ago, so I apologize if the writing and grammar are a bit... novice.

**1** **Anastasia - I Didn’t Sign Up For This**

Stop. You’re reading this because you enjoy stories. So did I. But this isn’t a work of fiction, no matter how much I wish it was. You’re reading this because you had a desire to take my place. So did I, once. But don’t make my mistake. Don’t wish for this, I wish I never did. You wanna know what changed my mind? You haven’t been paying attention. Very well, learn your lesson. My name is Anastasia Roma, learn my story. Learn my lesson. 

The morning had begun like any other, I woke up and was forced to drag my feet to my tiny school and my average sophomore classes. Yeah, my life wasn’t the most exciting. Yet, that all changed that day.

I was trudging along the halls, dodging and weaving through ignorant rich kids on their phones. I was so caught up in my own thoughts, I failed to notice the foot being stuck out in front of me. Tumbling to the cool ground, I watched helplessly as my notebook slid across the tile floor and bounced against the same foot that put me in this situation. Great. Begrudgingly, I glanced up to a trio of girls. Why must mean girls always come in threes? Brushing away the thought, I stumbled to my feet. 

The center girl, with a color palette like a demon, picked up the notebook and snickered like a dying hyena, “Oh? What’s this, Ana? I didn’t know you write! Why didn’t you tell us? We are your closest friends, after all! Let’s see…” She started to flip through my notebook like a predator hunting prey.

Taking a deep breath, I asked calmly, “Alex, can you just please give my notebook back? Please? You said we were friends, right?”

The girl next to Alex, who looked like an 80s rip-off, snatched the book and squealed like a helium balloon, “What messy handwriting! Jeez Ana, take some lessons, would you? Oh! And this piece looks interesting!”

The third girl that looked like she came from rolling in the mud peered over to look at the book, “Really?  _ I’m lost. Lost in a sea of smoke and storms. Drifting aimlessly with no one beside me and nowhere to go. Rising and sinking. Helplessly steered by the flow. I’m fading. Fading, like a star setting in the horizon. Flickering. Flickering like a fire in the rain. Someone, look my way before I flicker out and fade away. _ ” I could feel my hair stand on end, something inside me burned, screamed at the girls. I opened my mouth, aiming to give them a piece of my mind. Yet, nothing came out. The three girls looked up from the book to shoot me looks born straight from nightmares, killing the fire back down to its normal, pitiful sparks. My hands shook, ignoring the screams from my brain to stand my ground. 

Alex sneered, “What’s this? Looks like little writer girl wants to say something.”

The mud girl mocked, “What’s she gonna do? Tell us a pretty poem?” 

The 80s knock-off laughed, “Yeah right, it’ll just sound like a kindergartener said it. Ana, dearie, stop trying to pretend you’re good and do the world a favor by giving up.” The sparks reignited inside me, leading my fists to clench.

Finding my voice, I stepped towards the girls, my voice surprisingly stern, “Can you please just give me my notebook back?”

“Hmm…” Alex mockingly pretended to think about her answer, but I already knew what it was. What it always was. “Nah, I don’t think so.” I felt a low growl slip past my lips, but it came out so pathetically that the trio of mortal devils just laughed in my face. 

Another voice called out from behind the trio, “Come on Alex. Just drop it.” Like a light in the darkness, coming up to us from the other end of the hall was a girl with dyed blue hair and white clothes. She towered over us, even if she was shorter than the three girls. Without hesitation, even I shivered with fear as she approached Alex. Despite the look of murder in her eyes and standing on her tiptoes to look the other girl in the eyes, the girl’s voice was steady and calm, “Let’s think about this, Alex. This is your third act of trouble this week, right? Doesn’t the volleyball team have a competition this weekend? It would be a shame if the coach had to deal with even more stress with their best player causing trouble and risking her ability to come to practices and the game, right? We wouldn’t want that for our loving coach, now would we?”

Alex growled, her face scrunching up in thought, “Fine.” With a flick of her mop of hair, she strutted off, her lackeys tailing behind like the sheep they always were. 

The blue haired girl called out, “Alex. I believe you forgot something.” 

Alex turned back and forced a smile, “Oh, of course. How could I forget something so…  _ important _ .” Like a dagger, the book shot back towards my face. I flinched back, preparing for the inevitable impact. Yet, it never came. Slowly, I reopened my eyes to see the spine of my notebook an inch away from my face. Like a ninja, the girl managed to catch it without ever breaking her gaze on the retreating figures of the three girls. She smirked down at me. I rolled my eyes, hiding my awe, as I picked the book from her fingers. I expected that, at least, I should’ve. After all, I knew this girl. Everyone did. Nadia Nyx, daughter of miss principal, karate black belt, valedictorian and all around badass. Aka, not someone to piss off nor to try and live up to. 

She’s also my cousin.

I turned my back to her, “Thanks, Nadia. We should get to class.” I started walking down the hall when I heard laughter behind me.

Turning back, I saw Nadia holding back her loud snickers, “It’s the end of the day, idiot. The buses already pulled out and the teachers already started leaving.” The rush of heat flowed to my cheeks like lava and I spilled out a series of incoherent sputters, attempting to find a reply. Laughing, Nadia caught up to me and patted my shoulder, “Don’t worry. I’ll walk you home, dork.” She ruffled my hair, much to my distaste may I add, and the two of us walked down the halls and out of the building. 

We had gotten down the sidewalk when we heard it. A low growling and snarling noise. Like a wolf, but deeper. I felt a chill sprint up my spine, causing me to turn on my heel towards the source. Concerned, Nadia asked, “What’s up?” But I didn’t answer. I just stared down the alleyway, lost in the seemingly unnatural darkness. 

Just then, a pair of blood red eyes began to glow through the black. Then another. And another. Every cell in my body screamed to run, yet my feet were cement. Even Nadia, though I couldn’t see her, was taken aback by the sight. As the eyes loomed into the light, I felt my stomach plummet. They were snarling wolves that looked to be made of shadows save the eyes that haunted nightmares and foam of death spilling out of their mouths. 

Before I could move, I felt myself being pushed back onto the cement. Standing over me was Nadia, once again trying to protect me. She was holding a bronze umbrella as if it was a sword. Her scowl was back again, but there was a look in her eyes. One that I’ve rarely ever seen on her. One that told me how severe the situation was. One of pure and utter terror. Panic took control and I cried out, “Nadia! What’s going on?”

Not breaking her gaze with the creatures, Nadia ordered, “Anastasia! Stay back! Those are hellhounds!” What? My mind couldn’t think well enough to process her words. All I can take in was the scene between my cousin and the creatures slowly crawling towards us, who seemed to soak in our fear with joy. The leading dog crouched, aiming itself for Nadia. I called out, but I realized too late. The monster leapt towards the short girl, who just desperately opened her umbrella and held it like a shield. 

But the hit never landed. Instead, time seemed to slow as an arrow came out of nowhere and pierced the eye of the dog. It crumpled to the ground as two more bronze arrows pierced its body. It disintegrated to gold dust that blew away in the wind. From one of the roofs, a figure flipped onto the back of a dog, piercing it with a bronze blade. A third hellhound tried to pounce at the girl, but she spun the staff of her weapon, the blades cutting the monster in two like butter. Getting to her feet, she gave a glare that would make generals shake in their boots. The remaining monsters took one look and made the smart move of retreating back into the shadows to which they came. 

The girl turned to face us, her face emotionless, “Come with me if you want to live.”

Nadia looked down at me and shrugged, “Can’t argue with that.” I hesitated, my voice lost in the panic. Part of me felt comfort at the sight of the girl in black, yet the other part told me to run, just the same way the monsters made me want to. Snapping back to attention, I nodded back to Nadia and stumbled to my feet.

Together, the three of us hurried down the small town streets. The mystery girl led the way as we weaved around corners and away from crowds. After a minute, my voice was finally rediscovered and I dared to ask, “I’m sorry, who are you? Where are you taking us? What were those things?”

Nadia repeated, “They were hellhounds.”

That only fueled the fire inside me. “Which are myths! Not monsters casually appearing by nobody schools in a nowhere town! Just what is going on?”

Something seemed to set the girl off, causing her to stop in her tracks and turn back to us, “You want answers? Take my hands.” I glanced down to see that the girl stretched out her two open hands, one to me and the other to Nadia. 

Nadia started to reach for it, but hesitated, “Why?”

The girl sighed, “I can’t talk about it here.”

This time I was the one who felt suspicion at that comment. Well, it was a feeling of uneasiness growing in my gut. My voice was sharpened by that uneasiness as I spoke up, “Why not? Why would taking your hands change that?” 

The girl glared at me, her face the most deadpanned one I’ve ever seen, “If I wanted to kill the two of you, wouldn’t it have been much easier to leave you to the dogs? I mean, it’s not like you would’ve had a chance with them.” That… was fair. Hesitant, I looked to Nadia for her reply. She shrugged and took the girl’s hand. Though I still had my concerns, I took my cousin’s lead and did the same. Like a flash, my view was overwhelmed by blackness. What I felt wasn't pleasant. It felt like I was being dragged through a sea of ice water and a burning inferno at the same time. It lasted a split second and an eternity. The light came back all at once. The three of us were in a field of grass that looked like no one cut it in a century. Spots in the grass had ruins of, were those arrowheads? Nearby was a tall hill with a pine tree that watched over the area. It almost looked like something gold was hanging off its branches, but another glance made it vanish as quickly as I saw it. 

The girl walked past us and towards the tree on the hill. I shouted, snapping out of my awe, “Wait! Can you tell us yet?”

She turned back, a small smile on her face and an eager sparkle in her eye, “Not yet.” She reached the tree and… vanished. Stricken with surprise, I stumbled back into a calloused hand. Nadia came up next to me and shot me a look that calmed my shivers and fear. Together, we approached the spot where the mystery girl vanished. Each step felt like I was pushing further through a plastic wrap. Closer and closer until finally, we were through. To our surprise, the other side was packed. In the center, rows upon rows of cabins, each being a different style to the others around them. They were centered around a fire. To one side, a large home, a cave, and a coastline. Towards the other, a stables, a field of plaques and statues, and seemingly endless forest. 

Nadia spoke up, once again yanking me out of my awestruck daze, “Hey, where did that girl go?” Looking around, I thought the same thing. There were dozens of people of all ages, most in orange t-shirts that read ‘Camp Half-Blood’, but the girl in black was nowhere among them. Instead, a man who’s lower half was… a horse and a boy that looked our age ran up towards us. The man was clearly on the other side of adulthood. He towered over the boy, donning a t-shirt of his own and dark brown hair that flowed down his face in waves. What caught my eye most was the quiver and bow over his shoulders. Oh and that he was a horse. Did I mention that? Nadia, seeing the same guy, whispered to me, “He’s a centaur. A half man, half horse.” I nodded and forced my eyes to move to the boy that was running ahead of him. The boy was blond with pale blue eyes with a fire behind them like a roaring flame. He had bronze goggles and the same orange t-shirt I saw the others in, but his was covered in several types of stains. Even as he approached us, he seemed to be fiddling with something in his hands. 

The boy waved and called out to us, “Yo! Probably new kids!” 

I was too slow at finding the words to describe my thoughts, so, like the savior she always was, Nadia swooped in, “Who are you? Where is this place? I’m not waiting anymore for answers, centaur.” 

The centaur paused, clearly caught off guard, “Did no one tell you?”

Confusion filling my thoughts, I shook my head, “No, the girl who brought us just asked us to grab her hands and then… we were here.”

The boy looked like he saw a ghost as he blurted out, his voice even cracking, “You met Silena?”

The centaur turned to the boy, “Keith? Who is that?” 

Even I could tell the boy was in panic mode as he looked up to the man, “Another half-blood, Chiron.” 

Chiron glared down to him, a slight sharpness to his words, “Then how does she know about this camp but I do not know her?” If this were a show, the Keith boy would have the red warning siren blaring around him. 

His eyes met mine and he yelled, gesturing to me, “W-Wait, you guys aren’t claimed yet, right? Or w-who’s your godly parent, then? Mine’s Hephaestus, god of weaponsmithing and fire, as well as the best god.”

Seeming to set aside her suspicion, Nadia crossed her arms and smirked, “Oh? The best god’s a pretty bold claim. Where’s your evidence to back it up?” 

Keith glanced to her and smirked back, “Didn’t you hear me? God of weaponsmithing and literal fire. Fight me.” How could they talk like that? Be so casual about gods and weapons and all these other things.

Frustration finally took over my mind and control and I snapped, “Wait! What’s this about gods? And are you actually a real centaur? How? Will someone please just explain what’s happening? This better not be some sort of complex joke. Because between the murderous shadow dogs and vanishing girls in black, I am at my limits.”

Chiron took a deep breath and explained calmly, “Of course you have questions, miss…”

“Anastasia. Anastasia Roma.”

“Anastasia, you and your friend.”

“Cousin,” I corrected colder than I intended.

“Cousin, are half-bloods. Also known as demigods. That means that one of your parents is a, assuming greek, god or goddess. Your cases are abnormal, for normally demigods are guided and claimed by 13.”

I overheard Keith mumble to himself, “So that’s why she said she was traveling.” But I couldn’t question his words. God? Demigod? My mind could barely process any of what the centaur said, but I also felt a huge burden being lifted off my shoulders. I got so caught up in my confusion, Keith noticed my staring and offered, “Oh! Chiron, I can show them around!”

Nadia stepped forward and interrupted, “When will we be claimed?” Almost on cue, I felt something explode in heat on my back. It was warm, but not burning. No, it was comforting. The other three did look at me as if I was on fire, though. Keith opened his mouth when a beam of light passed over my shoulder and hit him straight in the eye. 

He stumbled back, crying out, “Oh gods! Why? Why is it always me?” That made everyone, including myself, giggle. After a second, the warmth faded back to a small tingle.

Chiron just smiled at me, “Apollo’s kid. That explains it.”

Nadia guessed, “That’s the egotistical one, right?”

Keith groaned, back to his stable state, “Unfortunately.”

Chiron turned to the blond, “Mr. Volace, could you show Ms. Roma around and introduce her to her new camp counselor? I would like to stay behind and talk to miss…” He glanced to Nadia, hoping for her to catch on. 

Nadia did, “Nadia Nyx, sir.”

Chiron gave a thankful smile, “Just Chiron, Ms. Nyx. I’d rather not be reminded of my age.”

Keith snorted, “With all due respect, Chiron, we all know the truth. Formalities won’t make much of a difference.”

Panicking, I started to push Keith down towards the camp, “Hey… let’s just get to that tour before we accidentally piss off the man who can easily trample us to death, okay?” I waved to Nadia as we started the tour. 

He explained the food system and schedules as we passed by the food pavilion and stables. He told me tales of demigod adventures while passing by the archers and sparers. He showed me the testing areas and hiding spots for capture the flag in the woods. As we passed by an open clearing I noticed a stray target peeking out among the wall of trees. I looked in front of me, to the blond who was still running his mouth. 

What happened next was over a single second. If you blinked, you missed it. A single streak sped like a bullet from above the treeline and targeted my face. The arrow reached so close, I could see the metallic streaks that made up the head. Keith’s voice spoke up, “Well, that could’ve been bad. We wouldn’t want you dying on us on day one, would we?” The rim of my vision cleared to show the cause of the arrow stopping before hitting me. Keith had managed to reach over and catch it between his fingers. 

I whined under my breath, “Is everyone more badass than me?”

Unfazed, he looked towards the source of the attack. Smiling, he called out, “Hey, Silena! How about you watch where you’re shooting?”

“How about you don’t lead people past a firing range?” The voice belonged to none other than the mystery girl in black. The girl hopped down from the tree branch she appeared on and approached me. Despite the fact that she was smiling, there was still a shadowy aura of intimidation around her. Noticing my staring, Silena raised a brow, “What? Do I have something on my face?” 

Once again, I felt the scorching heat of embarrassment rush to my cheeks, causing my words to stutter, “N-No! I-I just, want to thank you… f-for taking us to camp, I-I mean!” Silena stepped back, her face signaling her being caught off guard. 

Keith teased, “I knew it was you. I told you there was a heart in that sea of cold emoness somewhere.”

Silena protested, “I am not emo!” Keith just smirked in reply.

Curious, I asked, “Are the two of you dating?”

Silena scoffed, “Him? Please, in his dreams.”

Keith stomped his foot, “Hey! I’ve had a girlfriend before!”

Silena teased, “Oh really? Your imaginary friends don’t count, you know.” 

Keith crossed his arms, “Sarah, remember? The canadian mortal I met that one year I tried public school? You met her.”

Something clicked in my mind, causing me to speak up, “A mortal? But, what happened?”

Keith’s breath caught as he struggled to reply, “Well… dating a mortal without telling her about your demigod situation is… difficult. She’s an artist, so she bought into my reasons easier than most. Just thought I had a flare for the dramatics, you know? But I guess you can only tell a girl you’re late because you were caught up running for your life so many times before she has questions. And since I couldn’t tell her, duh, she cut things off.” He bounced back and forth on the balls of his feet, not meeting my gaze. 

Hesitant, I asked, my voice soft and cautious, “And you’re okay with that?” He met my eyes, and for a second, I could see his were distant, the fire I once saw brought down to simple sparks. 

But those sparks relit as he assured, “Oh yeah, totally!”

Silena corrected, “He sobbed and whined to me for a month.”

Keith declared, “I’ve moved on since then!”

Silena crossed her arms, skepticism behind her words, “Have you?”

“Yes!”

She quirked a brow again, “Then why did you spend all of dinner yesterday whining about how much you miss her?” Keith opened his mouth to protest, but his words seemed to fail him as his cheeks turned a bright pink. Seeing their interactions, I couldn't help but giggle. 

Not breaking her gaze on the blond, Silena pointed to me, “Don’t you have something to take care of?” Startled, Keith nodded and the two of us left Silena behind and made our way to the cabins. 

We reached a gold cabin that seemed permanently stuck in max blinding brightness mode. It was one of the more crowded cabins, with kids surrounding it on the outside. On the roof was a girl with gold hair in a braid that hung over her shoulder and bounced as her arms wrote in a notebook. Against one of the side walls was a boy with dirty blond hair messing with a saxophone. In the front was an older boy who had paler blond hair and a guitar along with a little girl, her gold hair tied up in pigtails, humming a cheery tune along with the notes he was strumming. The girl on the roof noticed us and set down her notebook. She leapt down in front of us and sang, “Keith! It is so good to see you! And… who’s this?” She pouted and did a whisper voice to Keith, but didn’t get the volume aspect of whispering, “She’s not a new girlfriend, is she? You know how the Aphrodite cabin is firm on their ship between you and that ghost girl. Besides, with all the mess with Sarah, is dragging another girl in the best move?”

Keith threw up his hands, “Oh my gods, is today remind Keith of his failures with love day? Jeez. Anyways, no Emilie, this is actually your newest camper, Anastasia.” 

Emilie squealed, turning to me, “Oh! My! Gods! You’re a sunshine child? But, I’m guessing you need a proper shirt. Come. Come! I’ll show you your bed and give you your new, heh, uniform.”

Keith turned to me and smiled, “Fine by me. I’m gonna be in my cabin, okay? Cool. Have fun with your sunny siblings.” He ran off before I could even reply. Sighing, I let Emilie show me around the cabin and she gave me a pair of blue jeans and an orange t-shirt in my size. I went to the bathroom to change. After crunching up my clothes in a manageable ball, I looked up in the mirror. For once in a long time, I was actually concerned about my appearance. After all, these were my new family. I have long silvery blond hair a similar length to Nadia’s, despite hers being wavy and kept up in a ponytail while mine is much straighter and loose. My deep blue eyes seemed dim after all the events that happened today. At least, I do have my skinniness in my favor. Maybe to an unhealthy state. The shirt hung loosely off by boney arms and ribs. The pants were so long and loose I had to curl up the bottoms. 

Stepping outside to face her, Emilie pushed off the wall and took note of my appearance, “Wow, sis! We’ve got to get some meat on those bones, huh? Well, that’s what dinner’s meant for. For now, we should go get you a weapon.” She started to pull my arm and guide me off as she spoke, but the last sentence made me yank my arm free and stop in my tracks. 

I asked, my voice a mix of anger and concern, “What? Why would I need a weapon?”

She turned back around and giggled, “You have to learn how to fight too, silly. You won’t always have a satyr to save you.”

I corrected, “But a satyr didn’t save us.”

She laughed, “Of course they did! The only way a demigod can survive their first monster attack is when a satyr comes and takes them to camp.”

“But, it wasn’t a satyr who did that.”

“But-”

She was cut off by a voice calling out, “Hey Emilie! They need your help in the apothecary!”

She shouted back, “I’m on it!” Without another word, she ran off in a new direction and vanished behind a building. 

From the shadows, the voice was revealed to be Silena, who scoffed, “Way to abandon your duties so easily, airhead.”

Feeling a simmering anger at hearing my supposed sister being insulted, I snapped, “Why did you do that?”

But that just made the other girl smile and tease, “Oh? So there is some semblance of a spine in there. Good. Spineless demigods tend to not make it far. I hope you can guess why. Here, I’ll get you a weapon. Trust me, I’ll be a better help than miss ‘You have to use a bow and arrow because it was what you were born to wield’ or whatever.”

As she started walking, I asked, “Wait, I never asked this, but who’s your demigod parent? And why did you save us? Not that I’m not grateful. I am! It’s just, Emilie said only satyrs save demigods at first.”

Silena stopped and rolled her eyes, explaining, “Of course she did. Look Ana, can I call you that? Emilie may be the counselor of the sunshine children, but she’s not exactly the brightest bulb in the box, if you know what I mean. She was saved by a satyr, so she naturally assumes that being saved by one is the norm and the only way to be introduced to camp. It’s not. At least, not anymore. In your case, you and Nadia were saved by a demigod. Me. As for my godly parent, it’s Hades, the god of death and shadows and the whole emo shabang. He’s also one of the Big Three, the most powerful gods. Just don’t go bragging about that to your siblings, alright? It should be pretty obvious that sunshine and darkness aren’t the best of friends. Why did I save you? It was just luck that I did. I was in the area when I saw your wimpy states and took pity on you. That’s all.” I could tell, I didn’t know how, but part of me could tell she was lying about her answer to the last question. But another part of me knew that pushing for an answer would also have an opposite effect than I wanted. So, as we finally reached the weapon shed, I decided to drop the whole subject entirely.

We entered the shed, which appeared much larger on the inside than the outside, a common theme here it seems. Silena walked over to a stray bow and picked it up. She turned back to me, a slight chuckle in her words, “Look, I know what I said earlier, but you can’t deny that your dad is the god of archery.” 

Without a beat of hesitation, I replied, “No.”

She cringed slightly, setting the bow back in its spot, “Oof. Bad memories?”

Visions, ones I tried to bury sirfaced, leading me to answer, “Just… I may be gifted in archery, but fellow mortal fifth graders? Not so much.”

Silena caught on, curling back slightly, “I can only imagine, sorry.” With a new air of awkwardness, I turned to look around the shed. There were several swords, spears, and shields spread across different sections of the walls. Across the center was a table with several knives, bows, and quivers filled with arrows. I lingered by the shields, running my hand over the soft fabrics and cool metals. I felt something guide my feet towards a box on the sword section. There was a mechanical pencil leaning up against the inner wall of the box. I reached in and snatched it. I noticed that not only did the eraser have the ability to be pushed in, but there was a button on the side of the pencil as well. Pushing the button, I nearly dropped the blade in surprise as the pencil grew into a bronze blade with a white and gold handle and a symbol of the sun in the center. 

Silena spoke up from behind me, snapping myself back to reality and out of my awed daze, “Ah, I remember that. A Hephaestus girl made that for an Apollo boy in an attempt to ask him out.” 

Turning around to face her, I asked, “What happened? How did it end up here?”

I noticed Silena’s expression darkened, as if she knew both like family, “He died the morning she was going to ask him. She fell into such a deep depression that she went out of the camp and was killed.” Hearing these words, the blade became heavier in my hand. Studying it, I saw that there wasn’t a single dent or stain, but I could smell the blood of the people lost with this blade. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the button on the handle and put the pencil in my pocket. Silena asked, “You’re going to use it? You know weapons with that kind of story behind them don’t exactly bode well with demigod souls.”

Smiling softly, I looked up to her surprised expression and replied, “I know. But using this weapon may mean that their sacrifices won’t actually be forgotten.”

Silena smirked, crossing her arms, “Oh? Aren’t you just a little miss poet? That has got to be the cheesiest thing I have ever heard.” But, despite the cocky smile in her voice, I could see a different story in her eyes. They had cleared away the dark storm clouds and a sunlight came in, thankful. 

Just then, Emilie’s voice shook the building, “GHOST GIRL! I SWEAR TO THE GODS WHEN I FIND YOU!” 

And… panic. Silena winked and declared, giving me a salute, “And that’s my cue. Talk to you later!” She stepped into the darkness and vanished. Glancing at where she left, I smiled with an unfamiliar warm feeling blooming in my chest.


	2. Nadia - Mistakes Have Been Made

**2 Nadia - Mistakes Have Been Made**

If I'm being honest, finding out I’m a demigod wasn’t a big pill to swallow like it was for my cousin. I’ve always had the expectations of being above average. I am the principal’s only kid, after all. Perfection is the expectation. Valedictorian, despite my dyslexia. Karate as an attempt to control my ADHD. Flaws are unneeded. Unwanted. So being a half-god? It wasn’t a gift or blessing, it was a requirement. 

Yet, despite my strives towards the expectations set for me, my godly father has chosen to not acknowledge my existence long enough to claim me as their own. The facts were there, plain as day. Everyone is expecting me to surpass their perfect goals with better results. It would only be sensible that a god’s expectations and goals were higher than a mortal’s.

I would have to meet and triumph them in due time, but for now, I will make due at camp. A week has passed since Anastasia and I have arrived. She’s been practicing with Silena and hanging out with Keith in her free time. We talk, but mostly just a passing greetings. Now it’s nightfall on our seventh day, and it was dinnertime for the campers. I filled a plate with food and scanned the area for Anastasia. Keith was messing with some mechanical device while surrounded by his family, Anastasia was joking around with the sunshine children, and Silena, like her nickname the campers have given her, was gone without a trace of her existence. Gripping my plate, for stability, I left the pavillion and made my way to the beach. I took a seat and started to eat my food, watching the sun fall behind the ocean horizon. 

A voice spoke up, “Enjoying the view?” I glanced up and saw a woman with wild red hair and bright eyes. She looked down at me and smiled, “Hi. I’m Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Camp Half-Blood’s residential oracle and only mortal.”

Shocked, I blurted out, “You’re a mortal?”

Rachel nodded, “Yep! And you want to know the best part?” She pulled her staff off of her back and the tip popped open. I opened my mouth to ask, but was cut off by the sound of a gunshot followed by a loud splash behind me. Rachel finished, “I can do that and say my weapon is also a gun and be the only one to get the joke.” A soft giggle slipped out of her as she sat down beside me and put away her weapon. Her bright smile faded to concern and she questioned, “What’s wrong? I’m usually the only one who eats out here. I rarely get company and most of them are only coming to sulk.” Part of me wanted to ask for details, but I bit my tongue. Curiosity and invasion of barriers is going to lead to exposed vulnerability. 

Not daring to meet her eyes, I lied, “Nothing’s wrong. I simply wanted to enjoy the sea air. And the sun going over the sea is a nice touch.”

To my surprise, Rachel snapped, “You’re lying. Don’t even try to protest it. Trust me, I once knew a boy like you.” I doubt it. “Have you ever heard of a boy named Percy Jackson?”

I couldn’t help but scoff, “Who hasn’t? Legend of the demigod world. Holder of the sky, retriever of the Lightning Bolt, finder of the Golden Fleece, denier of immortality. He was on the front lines of both the second Titan War and the second Giant War. Unkillable, unmatchable, god-level son of Poseidon, Perseus Jackson.”

Rachel sighed, “Yeah, that’s what memories of him in this camp has boiled away to. But Percy wasn’t perfect, far from it. I knew him personally before he died a couple of decades ago. Percy may have always seemed strong, but he used to be fragile, and self-conscious, and emotional. He would take on the burdens of his friends on top of his own. He was constantly worried that he wasn’t living up to what the world was expecting of him. Haunted by a feeling of weakness no matter how hard he worked. He enjoyed causing harmless trouble, like creating pranks with the Hermes twins, but he also had a problem with grudges and often had rivalries that he was the jealous one. But whenever he was hurting, he felt he had to hide it. He only let a few of us in close enough to see and experience that side of him.” I frowned, for once not knowing how to approach replying to a story like the one she told. His story was more relatable, more humane, than the versions I hear from other campers. It was almost pitiful how his humanity had been stripped away after his passing. Rachel perked up, “Hey, I noticed you’ve been staying in the Big House. How come? Who’s your parent?” Ah, as expected. A question I’ve learned was common in introductions. Name then age then location then godly heritage. I didn’t know how to respond. A lie would give her an expected response, but it could easily be disputed. She has also proven capable of seeing through my deceit. 

Begrudgingly, I replied with the honest answer, “I’m not sure. I haven’t been claimed yet.”

Rachel hesitated, “Really? But the gods made an oath to claim their kids by 13. I mean, we’ve had some strong cases, but even then they get claimed after their first couple days at camp.” Well then. So, not only did I fail to live up to my father’s expectations, but even fell below the average ones. That is certainly a troublesome development. 

That night, a decision came to mind as I crawled out of bed. Next to me was a silver pocket watch, the only gift from my father to me upon my birth. It wasn’t anything too special and often was the wrong time. Rubbing my finger over the unfamiliar emblem, I took a deep breath. This decision was for the benefit of everyone, was it not? No matter. 

I grabbed my bag, and threw the few possessions in it, over my shoulder. Silently, I crept across the camp and towards the hill. Just as I was about to reach it, I felt something wrap around my ankle. Looking down, I noticed it was a vine from the strawberry fields. As I was pulling out my umbrella to cut it away, a tired voice called out, “Nancy, what do you think you’re doing?” I knew this voice, the one interference I was concerned about. Sitting there was Dionysus, also referred to in camp as Mr. D. Names have power, after all. 

Straightening up, I replied, “Leaving. I think it’s best for everyone if I did so.”

Mr. D looked unimpressed, “Well sorry to mess your oh so important plans up, but no one leaves unless they’ve been given permission. Or a child of Hades. We gave up on trying to contain those brats. But I don’t recall you being given permission by anyone.” 

Scowling, I decided my next move was best to be a snarky reply, “I didn’t ask.”

Mr. D. glared at me, in a way only a god could pull off, “If you thought you could sneak past a god, think again brat.” Frustration boiled within me as I threw down my blade and cut through the vine. I managed to get a single step closer to the edge before another vine took its place. “It’s a pointless venture. I have no problem letting troublemakers like you get yourself killed, but that would just mean more paperwork.”

I blurted out, “Just stop it!”

That only caused him to raise his brow, “Now you think you can order me around?” something burned inside of me. Not burned, per say, but erupted. Like a switch, like a pipe bursting. 

Throwing down my weapon to cut the vine, I screamed, “ **STOP!** ” And… he did. But not just him. Looking around, I noticed everything had froze. Mr. D. was frozen like he was about to speak, the wind had cut off, and even the falling leaves nearby stayed mid-air. I looked down to my leg, only to see the vine mid tear, not yet fully losing its shape. Hesitantly, I pulled my leg out. Panic took over my mind and body, forcing my body to move. I didn’t care where. I didn’t care how long I was running. Anywhere. Nowhere. Not there. Not at camp. Not after that. Not after I failed. I broke. I can’t afford to face the disappointment and resent that would come after. That always came after. 

I was so caught up in running, I failed to notice the clock symbol glowing above my head. Nor did I notice the ones who did.

I reached the city with torn clothes and heavy breath. I didn’t know what city, Camp Half-Blood isn’t exactly on the common person’s map. Everytime I tried to ask, people just moved around me. Like the disease I was. Like the mistake I was. Suddenly, I felt something yank at my bag. I glanced back, but there was no one there. At least, no one that could’ve been responsible for the tug. An unfamiliar uncertainty grew inside of me and I turned forward to continue running. A person shoved into me and I stumbled into a side alley. Tripping, I saw my bag slide forward in front of me. My mind flashed back to the day when all of this started. To my mother with her title and the one bestowed on me. To the trio of girls that always lied and bribed to break any sense of order I established and was responsible to maintain. To Anastasia, my dear cousin. I could tell she looked up to me, but that was her gravest mistake. She… will be better now. She thrives at camp, I thrash. 

Tears stung my eyes, much to my dismay. Rapidly I attempted to blink them away. Bury them. Forget them. I forced myself to my feet and snatched up my bag. I turned around to head back towards the main street only to be cut off by a figure in a hoodie. By his height and shape, I could guess he was around my age. There was something about him, though, that churned my gut and cut my walking short. I opened my mouth to call out to him when another figure wrapped around me from behind and pressed a white rag against my mouth and nose. Sleeping drugs. Wonderful. 

With my vision blurring and my body losing strength, I attempted to cry out for help. For somebody. Anybody. But no one came. No one cared. No one ever does. Behind the boy, people passed by without even sparing a glance in my direction. Behind me, I could hear a girl giggle, “Even if we didn’t manipulate the Mist, did you really think a bunch of mortals would care about somebody like you?” I didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. But I didn’t need to. 

Darkness started to take over and the last thing that I could make out was a sword with a half steel and half bronze blade, along with a male’s voice laughed, “Oh, it is good to be back!”


	3. Keith - Too Many Questions

**3 Keith - Too Many Questions**

I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never got the ones who panic about being demigods. Most people treat it as such a sin, like some sort of punishment. Yeah, sure, there’s those scary monsters that haunt nightmares, but that’s why Chiron forces us to train, right? Besides, we’re safe at camp anyways. And anyway there may also be the demigod dreams to deal with. Those aren’t fun, that’s for sure. But those usually end when you wake up so it isn’t totally awful. 

Yet still everyone I meet treats the concept of being a demigod as frightful. Even my fam prays that they don’t have to leave on a quest because they’re scared of dying. Well, yeah death is scary, but I don’t want to stay at camp! I’ve already been here for 10 years and things are always the same. 

Anyway where was I going with this? Oh right! I’ve always wanted excitement and I felt that chance came with the arrival of our two newest campers, Nadia and Anastasia. 

Especially when I heard screaming. Screaming is never something safe and is usually leading to something exciting. I ran outside in the early morning only to spot Anastasia sprinting away from the Big House and towards the Hades Cabin. 

She was screaming, “Silena! Silena! Please come out! Please!” I ran to the girl as Silena stepped out of her cabin.

Silena yawned, “Alright, what’s your excuse for that volume this early? Just because the sunshine kids get up with the sun doesn’t mean everyone has to.”

I joked, “Yeah, you don’t want to get between the Aphrodite girls and their beauty sleep. It’s one part of them that isn’t pretty.”

Anastasia snapped, “I don’t care! We have bigger problems on our hands!” She turned to me and I was hit with the severity of the situation. There were tears in her eyes, which were wide with panic. Her whole body was shivering so greatly I could hear it. Or maybe that was the item she was cupping in her hands for dear life. She whimpered, “I-It’s Nadia! I-I went to go check up on her b-because I noticed she likes to go for morning jogs. B-But she wasn’t there and instead there was this.” She opened her hands to reveal a silver pocket watch with a Greek symbol on the cover. 

Silena, clearly pissed off by this disruption, rolled her eyes, “She could’ve just left for her jog and didn’t bring it.” 

Anastasia turned to the girl and countered, “She never goes anywhere without it! I’ve known her my entire life and it never left her side.”

I spoke up, “What’s so cool about an out-of-date watch? Doesn’t she have one that goes on her wrist like people who aren’t from the 1900s?” The glares the other two sent me made me regret speaking up and stole away my voice so I couldn’t speak again.

Anastasia rubbed her finger lightly over the watch and explained, her voice soft and distant, “This watch isn’t anything fancy. She often showed me how it would freeze at times or even turn backwards. But she still insisted on keeping it close to her heart no matter where she went. She told me how it was her only gift from her dad before he vanished on them. She was always so avid on believing that it would end up leading her to who he was. To why he left. Now, knowing what he actually was, that whole idea seemed silly. But she still always keeps it in her pocket, as a sign of home. As a sign of her past. If she doesn’t have it… I-I can’t even…” I tried to step forward, but Silena beat me to it. She stepped down from her door to pull Anastasia into a hug. I looked from the side as the girl buried the crying Anastasia into her chest with a soft look in Silena's eyes.

Silena assured, her tone soothing, “Sh, take a deep breath. Getting upset and panicking helps no one. Not us and certainly not Nadia, if she is in danger. Let’s just go talk to Chiron and Mr. D and see if they might have any ideas.” Sniffling, Anastasia pulled away and gave a small nod. Silena and I watched as she ran back towards the Big House, clutching the watch.

I turned to Silena and saw the light of familiarity in her eyes. Approaching her side, I rested my hand on her shoulder, “You did good, Silena. You did better than I could.”

Silena shrugged off my hand and teased, “Hades yeah I did. You probably would’ve ended things with her kicking you in your sweet spot.” I hate to admit she wasn’t wrong. Silena gave me a wave and started to walk towards the trees, “Well, tell me how it goes.”

Realization struck me and I called her, “Wait, you’re not coming?”

Silena stopped and asked, “You want to try to explain me to Chiron?” Of course not. I could tell from her voice she knew that would be what I said. Neither of us could handle that situation, not with everything going on. Silena smiled back at me, sadness in her eyes, “Thought so. I’ll be there if you need me.” I tried to stop her, but she just walked off and vanished to the shadows. 

I turned to start heading towards the Big House, but my eyes caught on the campfire in the center of the cabins. The flames were flickering with the early breeze and stood out against the dark grass. Watching them dance resurfaced visions from deep within me. 

Ones of flames, overpowering and haunting, trapping its victims inside itself. Ones of screaming, out of desperation for help that never came, out of anger for revenge on the source of their pain, out of pain for loss that came and was coming. Ones of tears, of panic, of relief, of aching loss. 

The more I watched the fire, the further I felt my mind fall into the depths of the past. 

To voices, young and old, screaming until they were hoarse. Sounds of running in every direction. Buildings collapsing and throwing up clouds of smoke and ash. People on their knees, coughing, around me.

Falling further, to falling in mud and slamming doors. Falling further, to eyes burning with hatred and stinging skin. Further and further I fell. Further and further. 

“Hey Keith! You coming? I don’t think I can face them without breaking down.” Anastasia’s voice, like an escape rope or a flashlight, guided me back to the surface. Back to reality. Back to camp. Back to safety. 

I looked up to see Anastasia staring back at me, standing a short distance from the Big House. Forcing a smile, I shot back, “And you call me a coward? Guess you just need brave old Keith to save you.” Anastasia rolled her eyes and walked into the Big House. Watching her, I reached into my pocket. I pulled out a bronze hammer with an engraving of a pinecone on its handle along with the Greek term for “Save”. The roaring flames in my ears dimmed as I chased after the sunshine girl. 

I entered the Big House to hear Anastasia’s voice say, “Chiron, sir? There’s a problem.” I spotted the girl approaching our head counselors. Without hesitation, I walked over next to her and rested a hand of comfort on her shoulder, making her send me a look of gratitude. 

Chiron looked down to Anastasia, “Ms. Roma? What’s the matter? What could’ve happened this early?” 

Mr. D grumbled, “Why can’t you brats take care of your own problems?” 

Rachel came from a nearby doorway and held up her hand in front of the god, “Ignore him, he had a bad night. What’s bothering you two?”

Anastasia explained, “W-Well, see the thing i-is…” I could tell the tears and shakes were coming back with a vengeance by her words.

I spoke up, “Nadia’s missing. She vanished overnight and we have no idea where she went. All she left behind was this pocket watch which Anastasia said was a gift from her pops. Do you have an idea of what we could do to try and find her?” Chiron opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of metal crunching behind him. That was certainly a surprise. Especially when we saw the source of it. Mr. D was holding a crushed Diet Coke, the soda spilling over his fingers and splashing onto his leg. 

Mr. D snapped, “Nancy is nothing but trouble! Reminds me of the last time we’ve had a “special child”. You know what else came with that kid?” 

Anastasia spoke up, “Who was it?” Something struck a chord with the three adults. Mr. D’s hatred and annoyance grew, Chiron looked like he just came back from a funeral, and Rachel looked as if she watched a family member get slaughtered in front of her.

The trio exchanged a look before Rachel approached Anastasia, suggesting sweetly, “Hey why don’t the two of us chat? Like girls! I’m still a teen at heart.” Much to the teen’s protest, she led Anastasia out of the building. I looked back to the other two, only for them to seem to forget I was there and instead turn to each other. This must be what Silena constantly lives through.

Chiron asked Mr. D, “Do you really think this could be the start of another age of heroes? So soon after the two wars?”

Mr. D scoffed, unsatisfied with the skepticism of his coworker, “You weren’t there, Chiron. One second she was struggling to escape, by Thalia’s tree, and the next she’s nowhere in sight. She’s one of his.”

Chiron muttered, looking away, “I would think I would never live to meet another one of his. Not after he went missing for so long.”

Mr. D rolled his eyes, summoning another Diet Coke, “Please. Both of us know that one of those little monsters would come soon enough. Few gods can keep calm around a chick. He’s no exception. Just never thought I’d be stuck here to deal with them.”

Chiron asked, “But what do we do? We should, at the very least, send out a search party, no?”

Once more a scoff escaped from the god, “Search for what? You mean like a quest? Please, without a prophecy or lead, they’ll die before they get a trail. With that girl’s power? She’s long gone towards the Romans, or worse Canada, by now.” 

Chiron sighed, burying his face in his hands, “I hate to admit that you do bring up several good points. Plus she hasn’t been here long enough for proper training so she’ll likely fall victim to the monsters. Especially since she’s alone. I suppose the best thing would be to explain things and break the news to Anastasia.” I refused to believe what I was hearing. They were hiding something, I was sure of it. To give up on a camper so quickly without even attempting to save them? That is not what this camp stands for! 

My fury boiled over so great I could feel a raging fire scorch my veins. The rage grew so great I could feel my skin erupt in goosebumps and my hair stand on end. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my hammer began to glow in my hand. Shock took control and the hammer clattered to the ground. I hissed, “Styx!” 

Mr. D looked to me and snapped, “Were you eavesdropping, Kyle?”

Sheepishly, I corrected, pocketing my weapon, “Actually, I never left so I’ve technically been part of the conversation the entire time.”

Chiron assured, “Don’t worry, Mr. Volace, you’re not in trouble. In fact it might be better if I explained things to both of you.” On cue, Rachel and Anastasia rejoined the group, smiling and chatting. But even I could tell that their smiles were forced, hiding the panic and grief in their eyes. Rachel looked to Chiron and frowned, understanding. She excused herself and took Mr. D, the latter reluctant, out of the room. 

Anastasia looked at me before looking up to Chiron, asking, “What’s… going on? Oh! Do you have an idea for how we could find Nadia? Are we sending out a search party? Oh I could lead it!”

Chiron interrupted, “No, Anastasia. There are some things you should know. Specifically Nadia’s father.”

I asked, “Do you know who it is? But she wasn’t claimed!”

Chiron explained, “She was. Last night, but it wasn’t by any normal god. Her father is Chronus. Not the titan Kronus, mind you, but Chronus, the god of time.”

Anastasia spoke up, “With all due respect, why doesn’t he have a cabin? Did he break some sort of oath by having Nadia? Was that why she went missing?”

Chiron held up his hand, “Ms. Roma, please allow me to finish what I have to say before you ask your questions. Chronus doesn’t have a known oath like Artemis or the Big Three. The reason he neither has a cabin or is brought up is due to no one seeing him for the past century. His last child was one of the creators of the nuclear weapon and even that child vanished after the war. Chronus was so focused on keeping the order, we all believed he left to focus solely on it. But apparently he’s returned. But why now of all times? Did he foresee something big coming?”

Furious Anastasia cut in, “Sir! Stay focused!” 

Chiron snapped back to reality, apologizing, “Ah right, sorry, I was just thinking is all. My point is that Nadia is a major target for monsters and her powers can be... powerful if not controlled. That is likely the reason for her watch, it took the brunt of her attacks, per say. Now without it nor proper training, I doubt she’ll be able to make it long enough for us to find her.” That relit the flames of fury inside me. 

I yelled before Anastasia had a chance, “You’re not gonna try? If it were any other kid you wouldn’t hesitate to send out someone to save them! You didn’t even have a satyr bring them to camp in the first place! Why? What is so bad about Nadia that you refuse to even try to save her?”

Chiron glanced between us, hesitant with his reply, “It’s… not as simple. Children born with such power often brings dangers. Even if we did try to send someone, too few would take the risk to have a shot of success. After…” He trailed off, his eyes going glassy as he looked away. He perked up, “No matter, a quest like that with no starting point will have too great of a risk. I forbid you two to leave camp until something new turns up. This is for your sake more than mine, I promise you.” I looked to Anastasia to see tears streaming down her cheeks, fury and hatred fueling the fire in her eyes. Without another word, she turned and sprinted out of the room. I sent Chiron one last glare before following behind.

I spotted Anastasia running back to her cabin, but my body refused to chase after her. Instead, I looked to the woods and my mind wandered to the daughter of Hades. To be forgotten and left behind so easily… Silena, how have you lived like this for so long?


	4. Anastasia - It's About Time

**4 Anastasia - It’s About Time**

8 months. Nadia has been missing for 8 whole months. And yet no one seemed to give a dam!Chiron and Mr. D both shoot down any attempt at a search and rescue. Rachel and Keith both try to dodge the topic and instead try to get me thinking of something else. And Silena attempts to try and find clues, being the only one who can leave, but she always turns up empty. I can tell she’s honest with her results, but a part of me itches with the belief that she knows more than she’s letting on. They all do. Nadia is suffering and people insist on sitting on their tails! 

“Anastasia? You brooding again?” I lifted my head from between my legs to see Emilie being the source of the voice. Emilie looked at me with a mix of sympathy and guilt in her eyes. She took a seat at the edge of my bed and lightly rested her hand on my foot. She spoke, cautious and comforting, “Hey sis, I hate to say this, but you’ve been like this for months. Loss can be… difficult, but you can’t let it run the rest of your life. Move on! Nadia wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life like this!” I didn’t reply. A born and raised sunshine child wouldn’t understand anyway. Emilie sighed and stood up, “At least promise me you’ll go outside to get some fresh air. As a camper, you still have to participate in camp activities.” Much to my distaste, she yanked me out of the safety of my bed and into the outdoors.

After a few hours of blade training, I took my notebook and wandered through the woods, searching for inspiration. At least, that’s my excuse. In reality I was looking for a gap in their defenses. The gate, hill, and fields were out of the question, that was where Mr. D kept an eye out for runaway campers. But what time would be best to leave? That I still couldn’t figure out. Every time of day, he was watching.

As I listed off the possibilities, I began mindlessly singing “My Grand Plan”, some musical song I overheard other girls back at my old school playing. A voice tore through my thoughts like a blade, “You have a nice voice.” Startled, I spun around to see Keith leaning against a tree trunk, fiddling with a motor and gearbox. He looked at me and asked, “Why don’t you ever share your talents with the other campers? Scared you’ll steal the show at the sing-along?” He chuckled at his obviously terrible joke.

I crossed my arms, “It’s hard to show off when there’s no talent to show.” For some reason, that cued a glare from the blond.

He spoke, his voice lowered, “Hey, don’t go doubting yourself, alright? You have some real skills. Don’t be afraid to show it off.” I followed his line of sight to the depths of the forest. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him frown and mumbled, “Don’t be forgotten, Ana. You won’t enjoy it when you are.” What was he saying? Forgotten? Was that a joke? Yet, the way he said it… 

A voice spoke up, “What are you two doing out here? You know Chiron’s looking for you.” Keith and I looked up to see Silena reading a book in a nearby tree branch. 

Curiosity led me to ask, “What are you reading?”

Silena looked up, narrowing her gaze, “Why do you care?”

Startled, I attempted to come up with a reply when Keith stepped in, “Come on, Silena. Whatcha reading? Is that such a crime to ask?”

Silena rolled her eyes, “You know curiosity killed the cat.”

Keith retorted, “But satisfaction brought it back.”

Silena shifted on her branch to better face us, “Assuming said cat lived long enough to receive such satisfaction. Whatever, guess it doesn’t matter. It’s a journal from my late brother, Nico. He died 20 years ago but he played a main part in the Age of Heroes.”

Keith and I exchanged a look before I repeated, “Age of Heroes?”

Silena scoffed, leaping down in front of us, “I get why you don’t know, Anastasia, but why you, Keith? Don’t you always tell me you strive to have a legend like the Demigod Heroes?”

Keith perked up, “Oh yeah! Now I remember!”

I looked between them before raising my voice, “I don’t! Can someone explain it to me? Please?”

Silena sighed, “Recently, Rachel dove into demigod history and noticed there’s periods of major production of demigod “Legends” or “Heroes”. These times are called Ages of Heroes. The most recent one and one of the more active ages was 50 years ago. One of those heroes was my half-brother, Nico Di Angelo.”

Keith recalled, “Oh yeah, I heard Chiron bring up the Age of Heroes. I think he and Mr. D were starting to believe that another age was coming.”

Silena looked away, mumbling under her breath, “Could that be possible? So soon after the last one? That could mean…” Her mumbles grew so soft I could no longer make out her words.

With a new air of awkwardness, Keith rocked on his heels, “So, you said Chiron was looking for us?”

Silena looked back at us, “Oh, right. I overheard him asking Emilie for you. I’ll bet you he’s at the Big House. Or searching the woods for you. Either way he can’t see me.” I opened my mouth to ask her what she why that was a problem, but Keith shook his head in warning towards me.

The two of us left Silena and made our way back to camp, spotting Emilie sprinting towards us. She exclaimed, “Yo sis! Keith! Come on, you two have to see this!” Before either of us could ask her what she was talking about, she turned and began sprinting back towards the Big House. 

We entered to see Chiron and Mr.D on either side of Rachel, who was sitting in a chair with her eyes closed. Emilie ran up to them, asking, “Is she alright?”

Chiron assured, “She’s fine. It’s the spirit of Delphi that’s doing this.”

I spoke up, “What’s going on?”

Mr. D scoffed, “Girl came in, her eyes flashing that freaky green and asking for you.”

Chiron elaborated, “She’s getting a prophecy.”

On cue, Rachel opened her mouth and fog came out with her booming words, 

“ _ Sun, fire, and earth must travel towards the west _

_ Lightning from the past will join their quest _

_ The quietest demigod turns a curse undone _

_ In order to save the forgotten lost one.” _

With that, the glow in Rachel’s eyes faded and rolled to the back of her head as she collapsed in her chair. Concerned, Keith ran to the older woman, “Ms. Elizabeth Dare!”

Weakly, Rachel smirked at him, “Keith, what have I told you about calling me that?”

Keith lowered his head, “Sorry!”

Rachel ruffled his locks, “Idiot. You’re such a weird kid.” But this whole interaction didn't fully register in my brain. For my mind was far off. I tried to process the words, but no true meaning could be connected to them.

Chiron spoke up, “Well this certainly brings up a few problems. It’ll be best to have a meeting tomorrow.” 

Emilie guessed, “Wait, so the first line is talking about who has to go on the quest, right? An Apollo kid, a Hephaestus kid, but who could be earth? I can’t think of any demigod that-”

“It means me.” Everyone turned to see Silena leaning against the door frame, displaying that she was there the entire time.

Chiron asked, “Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met.”

Silena approached us and corrected coldly, “We have. More times than you can recall. But I will introduce myself once again. My name’s Silena, daughter of Hades. I’m destined to go with Anastasia and Keith.”

Mr. D snorted, “You’re certainly confident for a camper that just realized the truth about their world.”

Silena smiled, crossing her arms, “Oh I’ve been here longer than you realize, old man. Where do you think the rumor started? You know, the one about a figure that comes and goes, failing to make an imprint in anyone’s mind? It’s talking about me.”

Chiron spoke up, “Even if we do believe you about that, we shouldn’t leave without a plan, which we’ll do tomorrow, alright?” More! Waiting! Heroes of Legends should stay in the books because their real forms are spineless fools! 

The four of us, along with Rachel, left the two counselors and made our way to the coastline. I collapsed on the sand, whining, “I can’t put up with more waiting! I know we would be leaving this weekend, but I might not even be allowed to go! That pisses me off.”

Rachel put her hands behind her head, looking to the horizon, “Yeah, well at least we got new info, right?” Wait… I looked up to her to see her smiling, “I guess I can see why he would want to wait, though. With Capture the Flag happening, no one could have a chance to handle anything else.” Was she…? Rachel dropped her arms, “Well I should head back. See you guys!” She ran off, leaving us alone.

Keith was the one who spoke first, his eyes glued to where Rachel vanished, “Was she saying what I think she was saying?”

Emilie hesitated, “I… think so.”

Silena shrugged, “She’s a hero of an age, she would be going against her nature to not help another legend.”

Emilie nodded, “Alright, so here’s the plan…” I could barely register her words over the buzzing excitement and eagerness in my mind. We’re coming Nadia!

An hour later, we were in the woods with armor for the game on. Emilie and Hayden, the counselor for Hephaestus, positioned us to a distant spot in the woods “In case someone tried something”. Silena left to do her own thing, big surprise, leaving us two alone. Keith sat on a stump, cleaning his axe. Bored, I pulled out my own weapon and started to spin in my hand. Chiron’s voice boomed over the treetops, “Alright let Capture the Flag begin!” 

Keith pocketed his weapon and asked, “You ready?” To respond, I casted aside my colored helmet and nodded to him. The two of us sprinted through the woods and soon enough the feeling of breaking through plastic wrap washed over me, signaling we had left the camp. 

I turned to Keith and exclaimed, “We did it!” From out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Silena approaching us with three matching bags. 

Silena warned, “Don’t celebrate too soon. We’re not out of the woods yet,” She looked around at the trees and added, “Literally.” She handed each of us a bag and kept the third. As we grabbed them from her, she informed, “I’ve been preparing for this trip for a while. I made us ready for every possible threat. Speaking of threats, Keith can you call up your, technically, aunt to see where she and her lackies are staying these days?”

Keith rolled his eyes, “Why do you keep calling them that?” but he still vanished beyond the trees, leaving us girls alone. 

Exploring the contents of the bag, I noticed something hanging on the side. Looking closer, I realized it was a grappling hook and rope. I pulled it out to show Silena and asked, “Why did you think we needed this?”

Silena crossed her arms and quirked a brow, “Do you really believe we’ll never come across a need for that?” I put the rope back.

Keith rejoined us a minute later, informing, “Alright so I Iris-messaged them, they’re staying in Delaware.”

Silena groaned, “Great. Delaware. Nothing good comes from there.”

Curious, I asked, “What do you have against Delaware?”

Keith explained quietly, “Emilie was born in Delaware.” 

Silena sighed and held out her hands to us, “Whatever, I can get us to Delaware. It’ll save us time.” I looked to Keith, who took the hand without hesitation. I did the same and the feeling from before washed over me. 

We came back to light to show us on a cliff looking over a brightly lit town. Reluctantly, I turned away from the view and saw Silena bent over, out of breath, and Keith approaching the nearby woods. A loud rumble made the ground shake and I stumbled to keep my footing. We looked towards the skyline to see a trail of smoke coming from within the forest. 

Keith declared, “We’re here.” 


	5. Nadia - Why Now

**5 Nadia - Why Now**

Time has passed. How much I am uncertain. All I can say for certain is that after I was kidnapped, I woke up in a place called Mount Othrys, where I’ve been forced to say since. I’ve yet to see the young man I saw that day, but the girl visits and watches my routine. She introduced herself as Tyche, after her mother, the goddess. I do not know her past, I’ve yet dared to ask.

My routine is repetitive and one of the many reasons I failed to track the days. I woke up and was forced to hold the sky in Atlas’s place. Once they notice I’m at the point of exhaustion, they remove me and allow me to rest and refuel. Afterwards, I meet with Tyche, who trains me in a variety of fields; hand-to-hand combat, studies, my powers, short and long ranged fighting. At first I wondered why they would put such effort for a captive, until they started to extend an offer for me to join their ranks. I declined, yet they persist. No matter, the routine remains like this on what I assume is a day-to-day basis. I never see the skies, only the walls and the small piece of the sky I am forced to hold. 

One of these days, I ate my meal as Tyche approached my cell, “Nadia. How’s the food?” 

I mumbled, “Not bad.” It, surprisingly, wasn’t a lie. The food wasn't the size I was used to, but it wasn’t a little size either. I had a slice of bread with oil and salt, some over cooked beef, and some carrots.

Tyche put her hand on her hip, “Well hurry up, we should start training soon.” 

Taking a deep breath, I dared to ask, “Why?”

Tyche looked down at me, “What?” 

I repeated, slightly louder, “Why are you here? Why do you follow that man who allies himself with monsters, who want to destroy demigods?”

Tyche sighed, clenching her fists, “Things… Things aren’t that simple. You wouldn’t understand.”

I stared at her, setting down my plate, “Try me.”

Tyche clenched one of the bars of my cell, her voice low, “I… We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t have to. None of us demigods like any of this. But you are a necessary piece for our goal. Well, your abilities.”

I questioned, leaning towards her, “Your goal or the man’s?”

Tyche replied, not meeting my eyes, “It’s both of ours. He saved me. I was in darkness and he’s my light. I owe him everything..”

I repeated, “Even if it isn’t right?”

Tyche hesitated, her eyes clouding over, “I-It isn’t about right or wrong. The real world is much more difficult and complicated.” I opened my mouth to continue to try and steer her away, but she cut me off before I could, “No more talking. We should begin sparring.” She opened the cell and handed me my bronze umbrella. Together we weaved through the bare and demonic halls to an obstacle course. Tyche looked at me, a hint of sympathy on her face before she left me alone. Unusual, she is usually avid about watching over my training. No matter, I reached for my handle, the weapon feeling cooler. In fact, the whole room seemed to cool. I looked to the parts of the course that involved liquid and noticed that they seemed to bend and cool.

A voice spoke up, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it Nadia Nyx?” Shocked, I looked up and saw the hooded figure on a balcony above. Though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could tell he was analyzing me and anticipating my reaction. I raised my umbrella and readied my finger over the open button. The figure smiled, “Ready for a fight, are we? That’s good.”

Hesitantly, I yelled, “What do you want? What’s your goal? Why appear now of all times?” I didn’t know what about this figure that seemed to agitate me just by looking at me.

The young man chuckled, “Ah, so there’s a bark there. My goal doesn’t matter to you. Not yet. As for why now, people are coming. A prophecy has been told and a quest begun. Damn Oracle. The plans have to change.” Tyche reappeared next to him and pulled out her blade, the half-and-half one apparently modeled after an old, powerful blade. 

She smiled, “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?”

I scowled, “I’d rather die. Why should I if I know I’ll be saved?”

The man laughed, “I never said you’ll be saved, I said people are coming. Do you truly think they’re coming for you? 8 months after you vanished? A bit late, aren’t they? What would make them suddenly care about you? Even if you were the reason, who says they’ll even succeed? Are you really so happy about being the cause of their deaths?”

I opened my mouth to counter, but failed to come up with a reply. He knew me. I hate not living up to expectations and succeeding them. Yet, to not just fail, but fail so greatly that others had to pay the price? That was pain in its purest form. This news brought to life my darkest nightmare, and the man knew. The man ran his hand along the railing of the balcony as he continued, “You could save them the suffering. Bear the burden you so selfishly laid on them. Just stop resisting and switch sides. I will never make you face the so-called friends you left behind. But if they really cared, why not come sooner?” I lowered my gaze to the ground, silent. This man was clever, my firm beliefs from before now wavered. He managed to yank at my beliefs to turn them against each other, weaken them. 

Taking a deep breath, I repeated, “No thanks. I think I’ll stay on the side of what’s right.”

The man sighed, “Persistent. Very well, continue your routine. I’ll visit you every now and then. You’ll change your mind.”

I shouted, stepping towards him, “Wait! Who are you?”

The man stopped, “You’ll know soon enough.” With that, he turned and left.

That night, I assume, I fell asleep. But for some reason, I failed to have my normal dreamless slumber. Instead, I found myself in a soggy cave. Looking around, I asked, “Where… am I?”

Behind me, a man’s voice came through, echoey and slightly garbled, “Finally m-made it thr- rough.” I spun around to meet a giant waterfall with the shaky full body image of a man that appeared in his late 20s. He had pitch black hair and clothing and pale skin. On his waist was a black iron sword. I tried to speak, but he cut me off, “L-Look, we d-don’t have much t-time. Come.” Hesitantly, I stepped towards the water. Reminding myself it was a dream, I reached out to touch the watery image of the man. Before I could react, the water bent around my wrist and pulled me in.

I found myself in what looked like the sky. The ground below me was clear glass that seemed to be rained on. Looking closer, I could see the cave I was just in. I looked forward to see the man standing in front of me. I asked, my voice soft, “Who… are you?”

The man took a step towards me, cautious, “My name is Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades. My time is limited, so I’ll be brief. The man, the one holding you hostage, is more powerful than anything faced before. The only way he’ll be defeated is if he lets you defeat him. And I doubt he’ll let you when he literally has time in his grasp.”

Scared, I questioned, “What do you want me to do? How do you even know this?” The man opened his mouth to reply when we felt the ground below us begin to quiver. The skies and glass began to crack and the sounds of roaring waves crashed in the background, increasing with each second.

The man raised his voice, slightly frantic, “No more time. My sister is leading the rescue mission, but you have to find a way out of Mount Othrys to meet up with her.” His image began to fade and flicker as the sound of water roaring began to drown out his words. I opened my mouth when the glass below us shattered and I fell back into the darkness.

I shot up from my sleeping position, gasping for breath. I noticed one of my hands was clenched in a fist around something. Gently, I lifted the hand and revealed the item inside.

A skull ring. 


	6. Anastasia - Well Then

**6 Anastasia - Well Then**

We were running. Running to the danger. To the fire. I knew about monsters, but I wasn’t expecting what I saw. We had reached a clearing to see a bunch of girls of various ages all surrounding a burning area and a giant bronze bull with drills for horns. The girls tried to fire arrows, but they bounced harmlessly off the metal. Worse, the ones firing would often become the target of the animatronic. One of the more noticable girls was a taller teen with a spear and Medusa-styled shield. She had short, messy black hair and parts dyed blue. Her blue eyes were like thundering storms. Her intimidating voice shook like thunder as she shouted to the other girls. 

Confused, I blurted out, “What in Hades is going on?” By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. The bull turned away from an 11 year old to face me. Letting out a huff, it positioned itself to charge at me. I screamed at myself to move, but my feet were cement. Nearby, Keith was attempting to get the monster’s attention, but he was too quiet for the bull to hear. Move! Why won’t I move? My mind flashed back to the hellhounds. The familiar tightness in my chest. The tears stinging my eyes. The sense of weakness and uselessness. The next thing I knew, Keith tackled me to the ground and out of the path of the bull. At the same time, the mystery girl slid in front of the bull and stabbed her spear into its mouth. I watched the entire monster become overwhelmed with blue-white electricity, shutting it down. As smoke began rising from the beast, the girl let out a breath of relief. 

Above me, Keith did the same, “Thank the gods.” It was then that the two of us noticed what position we were in. Keith was towering over me, using his arms to keep himself up. One hand was on the ground and the other was on a… spot… on my chest. Both of us blushed as a piece of wood I noticed Silena to be responsible. 

Silena yelled, “You pervert!”

Keith shot to his feet, clutching the side of his head, “Dude! What in Tartarus was that? I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Silena scoffed, “That’s what they all say.”

The mystery girl crossed her arms, “Keith, I thought I raised you better than that.”

Keith turned to her and snapped, “Thalia! What does that even mean?” Around us, the girls all burst out laughing.

Thalia smirked and pulled the boy into a hug, “Good to see you Keith. It’s been, what, 4 years?”

Pulling away, Keith smiled, “You too, Thalia.”

Confused, I crossed over to Silena and whispered, “Who she?”

Silena explained quietly, “Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. She looks 15, but in reality she’s 70.”

Surprised, I blurted out, “What? How does that make any sense?”

Thalia chided, “You know, it’s rude to share a girl’s age.”

Silena put her hands on her hips and countered, “If you’re insecure.”

That caused a laugh out of the hunter, “Ha! I like you already girl. You two are Keith’s friends, right? What’s your guys’ names?”

Silena smirked, “Silena.”

Thalia asked, “No last name?”

Silena quirked a brow, “You’re one to ask.”

“Touche.”

Hesitantly, I did a small curtsy and spoke up, “My name is Anastasia Roma.”

Thalia approached me, looking over me with a smirk, “So you’re the quest leader Keith told me about. First impressions…” She took another look over me, “Not great.”

I muttered, “Gee. Thanks.” 

Noticing my gloomy expressions, Keith came up next to me. He assured quietly, “Don’t worry, she’s just messing with you.” I opened my mouth to ask a question when a loud rumble echoed in the clearing. One of the older girls turned beet red and clutched her stomach.

Thalia chuckled, suggesting, “How about you three join us for dinner?” Together we set up a campfire while the hunters prepared the meat.

Once we all settled down, I turned to Thalia and Keith and asked, “So how did the two of you meet?” That seemed to hit a cord, as Keith looked to the ground, his expression dark. Thalia frowned and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. Silena glared at me from nearby. 

Thalia explained softly, “It’s… complicated. And something I doubt Keith wants to bring up. Let’s just say I was the one who found him in his town and brought him to camp.” Looking back, I noticed a slight shiver in Keith’s movements and his eyes were shockingly dim, void of their usual inferno; a sign that should have told me to drop the topic. 

Yet, I refused to surrender and instead asked, “What happened?” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Silena glaring at me with a darkened aura of nightmares and snapping the bone in her hand. Thalia’s eyes glowed with bright blue electricity. Her plate was sparking and the grass below her feet turning to ash. The other hunters looked at each other in horror and some turned to run to the tents and trees. Keith’s plate rattled and slipped out of his hands. Silent tension hung so thick in the air, it choked and played with my breath. No one spoke, all watching the plate as it fell onto the charred ground and shattered to pieces. 

Surprisingly, it was Keith who stood up and suggested softly, “Hey, it’s late, why don’t we get some rest?” No one responded at first, but the desperation in his eyes made everyone agree.

That night, I found myself entering a new dream. My time as a demigod made me well aware of the fact demigods tend to have dark dreams. However, my dreams so far just appeared to be on drugs. Yet the dream this night was far different than usual. 

I found myself in total darkness with only a bright orange light in the distance. Approaching closer, I felt a wave of heat was over me. Which was replaced by an icy chill of what I saw. 

A small town at the bottom of a cliff stood out against the blackened night. The reason being the bright flames conquering its residents. The blinding mix of burning colors danced to the sounds of screams. Homes, shops, animals, people, all losing their color and crumbling in ashy black. One figure stood out among the horror, a little blond boy no older than five. Looming closer, I could see the mortification in his expression as he stood there, frozen and lost. I tried to reach out to hug him as some form of comfort, but, to my surprise, I phased through him and fell to the ground. As I passed through, like a spirit, an image flashed through my mind of an older version of the boy with a bronze axe in his hand and goggles on his head. Tears stung my eyes as I saw a dark figure approach the boy. The shadow was revealed to be a teen girl with short black hair and stormy blue eyes. 

Just as the girl opened her mouth, the vision went up in a cloud of smoke. A chill washed over me, one that screamed at me to run, to leave. The area around me shifted to a more woods-like area with a river nearby. Looking closer, I realized that it was the same river near Camp Half-Blood. I spotted two boys, one with bright blond hair and crystal blue eyes. He was towering over a younger boy with pitch black hair and sea green eyes. The smaller boy cried out, “Why?”

The blond replied, “We can’t survive with our parents in charge!”

The other boy shouted, his voice breaking, “But Kronos wants to destroy our parents!”

The blond gave a sickening smile, “Good! I’ve been here since I was a kid! I did everything the gods ever asked! But they still choose to ignore us! They have to pay!” With that, the scene faded to a more war-torn area with the same two boys, now years older. This time it was the black-haired boy standing over the blond, a bronze sword in hand. The blond choked out, “I’m… so… so s-sorry, Percy.”

Percy sighed, kneeling down to the blond, “It’s alright, you still have the chance to fix this.” The blond lifted his head, revealing tears streaming down his cheeks. 

The area around me dissolved to black, only a single voice remained, “No matter what, nothing changes. Time will let me change it.”

I shot up and noticed a burning feeling in my eyes. Reaching up, I felt something cold and salty running down the front of my face. A voice spoke up, “Bad dreams?” 

I looked up and saw Keith, but a part of my brain could only see the crying child lost to the flames. I hesitated, “Wh- What are you doing here?”

Keith joked, “Silena’s sleeping sounds like a plane engine.”

Somewhere, I heard a voice shout, “Screw you!” 

Keith’s smile dropped when he noticed my stricken eyes. He frowned, “What’s wrong?” I watched his eyes flicker with concern. Emotions buried my restraints like snapping iron links. I launched off the ground and tackled the blond. His eyes exploded in panic as we fell onto the charred dirt. 

I whimpered, “I’m sorry! I know what happened! I’m so, so sorry for my heartless questions before!” His cotton orange shirt molded and condensed in the clasps of my hands. 

Keith gave me a small smile and hugged back, teasing softly, “Geez, you Apollo girls. So emotional. Getting all worked up over something that isn’t even about you.”

Through my tears, I forced a chuckle, “Geez, you Hephaestus boys. So dense. Making fun of a girl crying in your chest.” The chuckles I gave were weak and I knew Keith could tell how forced they were. But if he did, he stayed silent and simply held me close as I let out tears, for who I wasn’t sure. 


	7. Keith - Why

**7 Keith - Why**

The next morning after that insane night, our group gathered to begin our journey. No one seemed to know about the incident that occurred. Or, at the very least, they didn’t say anything about it. Though Silena did shoot me a knowing smirk that said all it needed to. Was that… sadness in her eyes? Anyways, we picked up our bags as Anastasia asked Thalia, “You’re coming with us, right?”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Thalia who answered, “She is.” From the thicket of trees emerged a woman, that I guessed was in her late 20s, with a brown braid over her shoulder and piercing eyes that made me want to run to the hills. She gave off an aura that both demanded respect and thirsted for blood.

Thalia lowered her head, “Lady Artemis.”

Artemis smiled at her, “Lieutenant Thalia. You must go on this quest with these three demigods.” 

Thalia protested, “But what about the hunters?”

Artemis assured her calmly, “I can understand your loyalty to your duties and I respect it. However, this quest is more dire than you realize and these demigods will need your experience and skills. I will watch over the hunters, they are mine in the first place, after all.” 

Thalia nodded, “I understand, Lady Artemis.”

Anastasia cheered, pumping her fist in the air, “And the gang is born!”

Thalia shot her a glare, “Don’t make me regret it.” Even Artemis let out a laugh at that.

As we left the hunters and towards the town, I asked cheerfully, “So where to first?”

Thalia informed, “The reason our hunters were in Delaware was because we were heading to Maryland to go visit a recently revived lion.” 

Silena shot her a deadpan look, “You have to be joking.”

Anastasia looked back and forth between us, “Am I missing something? What lion? What’s so concerning about it? Where is it?”

.

.

“Oh. There.” 

We found ourselves standing outside of the National Air and Space Museum. The inside was pitch black and the place appeared abandoned. Silena walked up to the front door and lifted the sign hanging on the x of chains covering the double doors. 

She read out, “Closed for construction. Yet no equipment or signs of life anywhere. Yep. Monster.” 

Thalia ordered, “Alright, you three go take care of the lion. I’ll stay out here and try to keep any mortals away.” Wait, what? Every survival instinct within me started to blare warning sirens. I felt goosebumps race over my skin at the possibility of what’s gonna take place.

Sheepish, I spoke up, “Hey, how about I stay here and ward off mortals?” Unfortunately, I forgot a majority of our group knew me way too well.

Thalia shot me a demonic smirk as she shook her head, “Nope! Your quest, your job to do the fighting. I’m just the plus one.”

Silena walked up next to me and rested a hand on my shoulder that was cold as ice. She wore a smile born from Tartarus itself as she spoke, “Aw, come on! You want to be a hero, don’t you?”

I shot her the best glare I could, “I hate you.”

Nearby, Anastasia smiled sweetly and innocently, “Wow! You two are such good friends!” 

I snapped at her, “Don’t encourage them!” In the end, I was reluctantly forced to join Anastasia and Silena in the building. We wandered through the dark halls with our weapons in hand. 

Anastasia asked quietly, “So what’s so special about some lion?”

Silena explained softly, “The Nemean Lion. One of the opponents Heracules, ugh, faced during his 12 trials. Known for its unbreakable fur. Percy and Thalia also had to face it here as well. Let’s make a plan- '' She was cut off by the sound of a loud growl. We reached an open area and spotted the giant lion roaming the opposite side from us. Silena swore, “Well styx.” The lion turned and locked his gaze with me. Chills crawled through my skeleton before I dropped my weapon and turned to start sprinting towards the exit, the lion hot on my heels. I let a series of nopes escape my lips as my mind racked through the numerous regrets locked away in my past. I was so caught up in running, I failed to notice the scattered rubble in my path. Before I could react, I tripped and tumbled over the rubble, scraping up my legs in the process. I curled up as the lion loomed closer and closer, its endless abyss for a mouth open to attack. 

Just as I was prepared to meet my end, a voice of saving grace came from the balcony above me, “Keith! Grab the hook!” Looking up, I noticed an approaching silver hook coming towards my head. Without hesitation, I snatched it and held on for dear life. I opened my mouth to ask for the plan when I shot up into the air like a cannonball. As I flew, I spotted Anastasia pass me in the other direction, using both of our bags to ass weight. Where I once was, there was Silena with an arrow notched in her bow. In the split second opening, she fired the shot directly into the creature’s mouth. The lion slid to a stop, caught off guard, like a confused pet. It exploded in green flames that went out a second later. All that remained of the lion was the lion’s fur coat. 

Silena walked over to Anastasia, who landed on her feet, “Good plan, Anastasia! A demigod will make it far if they can think fast like that.”

Anastasia scratched behind her head, embarrassed, “Thanks! It wasn’t really the… safest of plans.. Though.” The two of them looked like dolls from where I was. At least for the split second I saw them. Feeling queasy of the height, I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths to calm myself, but it was pointless. The air around me was ice and the rope scrapped at my palms. My muscles ached for the strength I lacked.

I cried out, “Guys?” Little did I know, they both looked up at me with panicked expressions. Until they realized it was only my terrified self. Anastasia smiled softly as Silena facepalmed. Anastasia let go of the rope and I felt the air rush up below me before I slammed into the concrete. The impact felt brutal, but I couldn’t care less. I let go of the rope and gasped for desperately needed breath.

Silena leaned over me, “Oh don’t be a baby!”

Gaspingly, I replied, not even blessing her with a glare, “Screw… you…” Behind me, Anastasia walked over to the fur and lifted it up for a closer look. A second later, the two of us joined her to inspect the material. It felt no different than those fake felt pelts someone gets when they want to pretend they’re a cool person. The only difference was the furs of the outside took extra effort to run my hand through them. 

Silena looked to Anastasia, asking, “What do you want to do with it? Usually the rule is the one who comes up with the plan gets to decide what to do with the spoils.” 

Anastasia hesitated, “Shouldn’t we give it to the gods, or something? I mean, it isn’t ours.”

Silena scoffed, “You sound like a hero from the ages. Here, I got an idea.” She took the fur and laid it upside-down on the tiles. Pulling out a dagger, she cut the fur into three pieces. Ignoring Anastasia’s protests, Silena wrapped the two pieces around the sunshine girl’s arms like gauntlets. The third piece Silena wrapped up and stuffed into her bag. 

Confused, Anastasia asked, “What are these? What did you do?”

Straightening up, Silena explained, “Made gauntlets for you. They’ll let your arms block blade strikes and the arm is the most reflexive part you use to cover someone else. So think of it as using them for others sake as well as your own. The rest we can sacrifice if we need a god’s help.” I looked towards Anastasia to see her reaction, only to her messing with the gauntlets with the gauntlets with a depressed look in her eyes, clouded over and distant, as if she was somewhere else. 

“Yo! Did you guys kill it yet? I got us a ride!” Thalia’s voice struck me like a murderous bolt of lightning on a clear sunny day. All my hair shot up as I jumped 50 feet in the air. Nearby, Silena noticed my over dramatic reaction and began to laugh, covering her mouth in a failed attempt to conceal it but I knew her better. Thalia joined us with 4 tickets in her hand. 

Silena questioned her, ignoring my glare, “What up, Thalia?”

Thalia waved the tickets and explained, “I went to the station and bought tickets to take us to Indianapolis.” Wait.. did she really-?

Silena, apparently a mind reader now, spoke up, “Did you really ditch the one job you were supposed to do?”

Thalia hesitated, a guilty look in her eyes, repeating, “Yeah I have the tickets right here.” Smooth, Thalia. Real smooth. Gathering our stray items, along with some mocking from Thalia towards me when she heard what happened during the fight. 

As we walked towards the train station, Anastasia approached me and asked softly, “Hey, are you doing alright?” There was a sympathetic and concerned glassy dim over her eyes. Without even realizing it, she steered her gaze through my defense and straight into the core of my soul.

Sighing, I replied, “Yeah, sorry about that. It’s just… I have a fear of heights. Small distances don’t affect me, but big drops scare the Hades out of me.” Anastasia gave me a small, soft and honest smile as she pulled me into a hug. 

She whispered, “It’s okay to have your fears, Keith. You just can’t let those fears control you.” Without another word, she left to chat with the girls. 

Fear… huh. 


	8. Anastasia - A Much Needed Talk

**8 Anastasia - A Much Needed Talk**

The four of us got on the train and Silena and I settled in one car while Thalia and Keith hunted the cars for a food source like a pack of wolves hunting their prey. Silena took one side and curled up by the window, clearly not wanting to chat. I decided to sit across from her, pulling out my notebook to start writing. 

“Can I ask you something?”

Surprised, I glanced up to see Silena staring at me. Her eyes were dim and there was a slight twitch in her movements. Hesitant and confused, I asked, “Hm? What is it?”

Silena asked, “Are you ready?” What? What did she think I needed to be ready for? Closing my eyes, my mind drifted back to my dream. Ice cold eyes, haunting and powerful. Piercing sea green eyes, confident and sharp. That half of my nightmare never felt anything like the first. Something about it screamed, tried to send me a message I couldn’t decode because I didn’t have the key. Did Silena know? Could that be what I have to prepare for? 

I spoke up, “What are you talking about?”

Silena leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, “Don’t even try it. You sunshine children are like glass.” I let out a sigh, anticipating that response.

Quietly, I admitted, “Well, I have an idea. See, last night I got this dream. I know that demigods get dreams, but this was different. First I found myself in Keith’s past, which set off a lot of red flags. But then I was… somewhere else. By the creek at camp. There… There were two boys. I think one of them was going to attack the other? The attacker was older, and blonde. With blue eyes like bitter ice. The younger boy had pitch black hair and green eyes… like the moss you see in the ocean. They were also talking, the blond boy wanted to work with someone, Kronos I think, to destroy the gods. Is that it? Do I have to be ready to stop him?”

Another voice spoke up, “Luke Castellan and Percy Jackson.” The two of us turned to see Thalia and Keith taking seats next to us. They both had drinks and snack packs in their hands. Keith looked shocked, like a puppy in a store, while Thalia looked both serious and distant, as if she was trapped between the past and present.

I asked, cautious of the girl’s reaction, “You knew them?”

Thalia let out a heavy sigh as she buried her face in her hands, “And here I thought they were done. Yeah, I was close with both of them. Luke helped me get to camp and Percy was my cousin. Both died a while ago, though. Luke already tried to revive Kronos, the king of the Titans, to destroy the gods. But in the end he took his own life to stop Kronos.”

Silena spoke up, “What about Percy?”

Thalia lifted her head, “Dead. Died from disease. Sad way to go, but the mas passed with a smile on his face. I guess I could see why, his wife Annabeth died in a car crash 5 years earlier. So why would you…”

Silena narrowed her gaze, looking to her hands, “Why would he want to destroy the gods? His own parents?”

Thalia’s gaze became cold as her words sharpened, “Why does that matter?”

Silena barely flinched as she ordered, “Just answer the question.” 

Keith sat up as his eyes sparkled like fireworks as he exclaimed, “Oh I know this! I got you, Thals. See, Luke was abandoned by his godly father, I can relate, Hermes. His mother tried to take over the role of the oracle from the one before Rachel, but the curse on it at the time made her lose her mind. On top of it all, when his dad finally took notice enough to give him a quest, this was before anyone realized the real severity of such things, it was just a repeat of an old quest. So when Kronos was looking for a host to try and revive him, he found Luke’s anger and boiled it into pure hatred. But in the end he snapped out of his trance and repaid for his crimes by taking his own life.” My mind flashed back to the two boys in the center of the war. Luke’s broken eyes, ones full of pure anguish and regret.

Softly, I spoke up, “I remember that… I saw it, or at least some version of it.” That caused mixed reactions from the others. Keith was surprised, eyes wide and mouth open, Thalia quivered in her seat, her liquid bouncing and sparking, and Silena’s expression was dark and contemplative, like a computer processing all of this information.

Thalia crushed her drink slightly as she growled, “Why? Why would you have a dream about that?” Closing my eyes, I racked through the dreams and the dreams and booming words Rach-er- the Oracle prophesized. Did the two of them have a connection? But, what? 

Silena pondered, “There’s two possibilities, either Kronos found a new host, or Luke has-”

Thalia snapped, “He wouldn’t! That wasn’t him!” Silena turned to her, unfazed by the girl’s explosive reaction. Which was a direct mirror of Keith and my reactions. Let’s just say the riders after us may or may not find spilled remains and shoe marks waiting for them.

Silena continued gently, going as far as reaching across the gap to place a hand on the hunter’s knee, “I know that. But it’s quite possible that the time Kronos was connected to him corrupted him. Not his mind, per say, but his entire soul. Meaning if he was reborn then maybe Kronos’ corruption was still in place and he’s trying again.”

Keith crossed his arms and frowned, “I’ve never read any story where that happened. But when you’re dealing with gods, time, rebirth, and mythology, anything’s possible.” Closing my eyes, I let this info was over me. Once again, my mind sorted through the pieces and attempted to reveal the ties between them. More linked up than before, but some things just didn’t seem to connect. Curse? It could be the corruption idea, but the answer felt off. Lost soul… that could be Luke, but how was he forgotten? Or it could be Nadia. But that line about a curse seemed like it was on the lost soul. Yet again, this was a prophecy, answers are never meant to be straightforward. At least, they may not be that way. But still, what am I missing? 

Silena’s voice snapped me back to reality as she suggested, “Well we have a long ride ahead of us and it may be our only chance at peace for a while. Let’s get some rest.” 

Thalia nodded, “Good idea. Keith and I’ll move to a different car so we can all lay down.”

Keith threw up his arms, “Wait, why me?” Thalia shot him a glare and punched his arm. Keith yelped as he yanked the victimized arm away from her. Rubbing his arm, he mumbled, “Fine, whatever.” The two gathered their items and walked off, leaving Silena and I alone once more.

After a few seconds, Silena turned to me, “Did you see what I saw? Back at the fight?” Hesitantly, I nodded. My mind flashed back to the lion and Keith. The image of Keith panicking before he had started to run. More importantly, the blades of his axe glowing a bright orange before dropping it. I focused on the residue of ashes dancing in the air, despite no sign of a fire. Silena sighed, “That boy…”

Softly, I asked, “Do you know what that was?”

Silena replied, “Normally those signs would point to a fire power, but he would know about those powers early on. Creating literal fire isn’t exactly a subtle power, you know. And he clearly doesn’t know of any power. I’d think you learned enough about him to know how I could tell?”

I giggled, “He would probably brag and try to show off with it.” 

Silena snapped her fingers at me, “You got it! He totally would!” The two of us burst out laughing for a minute before settling down to sleep for a few hours.

My dreams were calmer as I slept. Only one thing really stuck with me when I woke up. That being the sounds of psychotic laughter mixed in with choked, agonizing sobs.

I woke up to the sight of Silena fast asleep, surprisingly quiet compared to the roar of the train. She had a snack bag hanging loosely in her hand, which draped over the side of the seat. I felt a soft smile grow on my face as I grabbed the bag and set it on the nearby shelf. I walked out and found Keith nearby. 

Quietly, I teased, “Spying? Never took you as a pervert, Keith.” I noticed his lack of reaction and followed his gaze. He was peering into our car and smiling softly at the sight of Silena sleeping. Smirking, I tapped his shoulder, “Keith?” The poor boy lost all color as he spun on his heel to face me. Panicked, he pushed against the wall behind him. Softly, I questioned, “Why are you spying on my friend?” 

Keith blushed and lied, “W-Well, I just wanted to make sure you could actually sleep through Silena’s snoring. You know-” 

“Keith.” I cut him off. Concern conquered my emotions and I realized the fear in his eyes and tried to sympathize with it. “Please.”

The panic in his eyes softened as he caved, “Can’t ever get anything past you, can I? C-can we talk somewhere else?” Silently, I nodded and the two of us walked to a spot where we were alone. 

As Keith stopped and looked away, I repeated, “Ok what’s wrong? There’s something clearly something bothering you. You can tell me.”

Keith let out a sigh and admitted, “I know. I’m just- I'm worried.”

I guessed, “About Silena?”

Keith nodded, “Yeah. She can take care of herself, totally more than I could, that’s for sure. But- actually I should tell you some things first. Silena arrived at camp not long after I did and we’re both full-timers. We’ve been best friends since… ever. We both felt we could rely on each other. Tell each other everything. At least, we used to. But I feel Silena’s been hiding something for a while. She’s always so hard on herself she says she’s just a burden. So she’s been burying her problems. Hiding them from everyone. Even me. I just- it’s just that I want her to talk to me, right? Like, she encourages me to share my burdens while she’s losing sleep trying to control hers! I feel like I did something. Something made her shut me out, and I hate it because I! Don’t! Know! What!” I could see his body quivering as his hands clenched and unclenched themselves to match his cracking tone. Looking into the pain and distraught painted over his eyes, I felt like I was punched in the chest. Reaching over, I took one of his hands in my own in an attempt to steady it. 

As I spoke, my voice came out soft and soothing, “It’s ok to be concerned, but it wouldn’t help to try and force answers out of her, it would just be sending the opposite message. The best thing to do is remind her that she has people there for her. She has you, Nadia, and me. You have us too. You said you just had each other, but not anymore. Please, don’t hide. Neither you nor Silena should. Please.” A warm airy feeling washed over me and I looked down to notice a faint glow passing down my arm and covering Keith. His shoulders relaxed and a look of gratitude emerged in his expression. 

He gave me a thankful smile, “Thanks, Anastasia.”

“Alright lovebirds, break it up. We’re almost at our stop. So, who’s gonna wake the beast?” Standing there was Thalia, a dazed expression on her face that told us she just woke up.

I blinked, “Beast? Oh, you mean Silena?” 

Keith got to his feet, “I should probably do it. I do have the best chance of not being straight up murdered.” he left us to go grab our bags and Silena. 

Minutes later, we found ourselves in Indianapolis. Silena suggested, “Alright we should probably split up to find our cheapest form of transport.” 

I whined, “What? And not actually see the city? As come on! That’s such a waste!” 

Silena snapped, “Absolutely not. Spending more time in one spot will just attract monsters. Besides, weren’t you the one that was so avid about traveling to save Nadia?” But I failed to hear her because I already started running down one of the sidewalks. I glanced back towards them as I ran. But before I could shout, I slammed into a person, sending me to the ground. Rubbing my head, I looked up to the person. It was a school girl my age. She had chocolate hair and black-brown eyes. I opened my mouth to apologize when I noticed she was looking past me, frozen in place. Turning, I followed her gaze back to my group.

I heard the girl whisper, “Keith?” Keith’s bag slipped to the ground, eyes frozen of pure shock and hands quivered in place. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Sarah?” 


	9. Keith - Blast From the Past

**9 Keith - Blast from the Past**

My lungs were in knots. In a single second my breath was snatched from my grasp. Every thought in my mind cut short. My vision blurred, leaving only the chocolate hair girl in front of me. A year of jokes and joy from the past flashed through my mind. One step closer to her. Then another. And another. Each step closer towards the cheerful bliss of the past. Closer to forgetting all I knew of the dark side of the world. Before I knew it, the shorter girl was in my arms, tears in her eyes. It wasn’t until I felt the coldness on my cheeks that I realized I was crying too. Sarah whispered, “It is you. It really is you. When you left and never said why, I-I didn’t know what to think.”

Smiling, I tightened my grip around her, “I’m so sorry. I-I missed you too. So much.” Nearby, my group regathered and Thalia and Silena were smiling at the scene we were making.

Anastasia raised her hand slightly, “Uh, who’s this?” Reluctantly, the two of us pulled apart and turned to the trio of girls.

Sarah did an over dramatic curtsy, “Sarah Couture.”

Silena rolled her eyes, adding, “Keith’s ex.”

Ignoring her, Sarah turned back to me and repeated cheerfully, “It’s really good to see you again, Keith. But what are you doing here?” 

In an attempt to dodge the question, I crossed my arms and joked, “I could be asking you the same thing.”

Sarah shrugged, explaining, “Touché. I got accepted into a private art school here. What’s your excuse?” Panic settled in my mind as I scrambled to come up with a reply.

To my rescue, Anastasia stepped in, “Road trip! By train! I’m going to visit family that needs help and these three are joining me! Oh, I’m Anastasia roma, by the way. Pleasure to meet you, Sarah.”

Sarah smiled at her, clearly skeptical, “I see. Nice to meet you, Anastasia. Anyway Keith we have to catch up.”

Silena spoke up, “I mean, sure I guess we could just walk around town while you two talk.” 

Anastasia threw up her arms, “Why does he get away with it?” 

Thalia agreed, “Sounds like a plan. We’ll meet back here in one hour. Treat her kindly, Keith.”

Silena teased, “You better not be as annoying as you are with us.” 

I shot back without hesitation, “Shouldn’t I be telling you that?” Silena stuck out her tongue in response as she walked off after Thalia and Anastasia. I turned back to Sarah and questioned awkwardly, “Know any good places to eat?”

Sarah let out a laugh as she took my hand, “That would have to depend. You paying?”

I mumbled, “That really isn’t much of a question, is it?”

Sarah smiled a demonic version of a sweet smile, “Good boy. There is a brain in there.” With that, she began leading me into the city.

**-Anastasia-**

As us three girls walked through the crowded streets, I turned to Thalia and asked, “So how are we going to spend our hour?”

Thalia pondered, “I should stop by the bank to get some cash, it should help us later on.” Nodding, I turned to Silena, who was silently looking around, avoiding my gaze. Looking closer, I noticed her wringing her hands together and her arms shaking.

Frowning, I rested a hand on her shoulder, “Silena?” The other girl jumped at the contact. Panic was in her eyes and worry twitched the edge of her mouth. We stopped walking as I questioned her, “What’s bothering you?”

Silena replied softly, “This place was my birth city.”

That perked me up instantly, squealing, “Oh! Does your mother live here? Can we meet her?” 

Silena muttered, “Not exactly…” I cut my breath short, realizing my mistake. I just can’t learn, can I? I just can’t help but cause problems! I told them I could help, but can I really do anything other than hurt? I guess I couldn’t inherit the one part of my father’s domain that actually mattered. No, I had to inherit the goddamn blinding sun beams.

Thalia spoke up, her voice slightly frantic, “Uh, guys? Are you seeing that?” I followed her gaze to one of the rooftops. There was a creature with both a lion and goat head. Its scorpion tail was hanging behind it, ready to strike. The creature appeared to be looking over the streets, searching for something. The very creation of this monstrosity sent chills down my back and selfishly prayed and hoped it wasn’t after our group.

Silena growled, “Chimera.”

I spoke up, “I think it’s looking for something.”

Thalia paused, “It does look like it. But.. what? Monsters only have a single target when a god sends them, and I don't think we pissed any off.” 

Silena declared, readying her bow, “Doesn’t matter about the why. What matters is we take it out before it causes any dangers.” Thalia nodded and readied her spear to throw it at the creature. Hesitant, I pulled out my blade and watched their ranged weapons with envy. But before an attack could begin, one of the heads looked away from us and sniffed the air. The body turned the same direction as the head. The Chimera leapt away and disappeared behind the building. Guiltily, I let out a sigh of complete relief. I closed my weapon and smiled at the idea of a possible catastrophe be avoided. 

That was… until I realized just who the creature was actually looking for in the city.

“Keith!”

**-Keith-**

“You may fall from the sky, you may fall from a tree, but the best way to fall… is in love with me.”

Sarah giggled, “I have to admit that was one of your better ones.” The two of us giggled as we weaved through oblivious crowds and busy teens. As we chatted away, or more accurately I abused the pick-up lines the Aphrodite kids taught me over the years, I let my fears and worry hide away in the corner of my mind. For once, I felt like a normal kid catching up with an old friend. Yet still, something felt off. Like a pair of eyes watching from the shadows. Nah, I must be losing it. Whatever, the whole point of being with Sarah is so I can leave my overly panicked and worrisome sides behind. 

I shoot another line, giving her finger guns, “Are you made of copper and tellurium? Because you’re CuTe.” She giggled again, but I couldn't focus on it. Instead, I spotted none other than a dam Chimera leaping across buildings, pouncing like a giant cat on steroids. Panic and demigod survival instincts took the reins over my actions before my intuition and logic could protest the switch. I snatched back Sarah’s hand, tightening my grasp so he couldn’t slip away. Sarah opened her mouth to question me, but I could tell that all it took was one glance at my horrified expression for her to get the message. The two of us ran through the crowds and streets, attempting to lose our tail. Yet occasional glances back proved those attempts to be fruitless. Instead the monster seemed to only get closer to us. 

We reached an empty street when Sarah finally yanked her hand free and yelled, “Keith! Why are we running? What was that thing? Why are you so scared?” 

Frantic, I replied, “I-I get you have some-many-dozens of questions. B-But can we answer them later? Somewhere safer?”

“But safer from what?” On cue, the Chimera leapt from the rooftop nearby, the sun’s rays leaving only a blackened silhouette with soul piercing eyes, and landing behind Sarah. I saw the beast ready its fatal stinger on the poor girl. And, instead of running like I desperately wanted to, something buried within me decided to take control for the first time. Pulling out my weapon, I ran forward and pushed Sarah to the ground behind me. The creature began to throw down its stinger at me instead and I raised my axe in a desperate attempt to block. I stiffened up, preparing myself for the fatal blow. What happened next I’m still not fully certain.

All at once all thoughts cut out. All panicked emotions and stomached feelings of regret disintegrated in an instant. Every voice screaming about every little issue taking place all fell silent. Everything cut away, unimportant and unwanted. All that was left was a single voice. One that felt strangely familiar despite how I’ve never heard it before. Now that soft whisper became a deafening roar that thundered through my systems and overpowered my senses. That voice only had one mission, one message for me to follow.

**_BURN._ **

**\- Anastasia -**

Isn’t there a saying? You see the smoke before the flames? No, that doesn’t sound right. And even if it was it didn't apply to us. What’d we see? Instead of smoke, we saw a pillar of orange flames that stretched high into the early morning sky like a beacon. The three of us looked at each other and didn’t say a word before picking up our pace. We didn’t have to speak. We all knew what those flames meant. We needed to make sure we were ready for what would come out of them.

We rounded the last few corners and all froze in shock at what we saw. Sarah was on the pavement, stuck like a statue from shock. But it’s what she was looking at that left us frozen. 

Standing there was Keith, completely enveloped in flames and axe in hand. Yet when I looked at the boy, I couldn't see the blonde dork with burning blue eyes. Instead, I saw a Latino boy with curly black hair that couldn’t be tamed, dark brown eyes with a million scars beneath the surface, and a mischievous smile that both felt out of place and perfectly in character.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thalia looking at the scene as if she spotted an old friend she hadn’t seen in years, whispering, “I knew it was you.” Knew what? Who? Pushing those thoughts back for a later, needed, conversation, I focused my attention back on the scene in front of me.

Keith(?) used his flames to push away the stinger’s attack, spinning his blade to cut it clean off. He put one foot behind him and glared at the monster, who was writhing and screaming in pain. Keith readied his axe and the flames surrounding him condensed together on his blade, turning blueish-white in the process. With all of his force, he threw down the blade in a straight-down strike, the flames creating a thin shockwave that cut the beast in two. I only watched as the boy stood over the disintegrating creature with a triumphant look in his eye. Once the creature faded away to only a pile of dust, Keith put away his weapon and promptly proceeded to… pass out face first on the sidewalk.

Well one can’t be expected to be cool all the time, I guess.

**-Keith-**

White. That was all I saw in every direction I looked. My brain attempted to replay the last couple of minutes to figure out how I ended up here, but it all came back fuzzy and incoherent, as if I was only partially there. Concerned, I called out, “Sarah? Thalia? Anastasia? Silena? Hello? You guys alright?” 

To my surprise, a male voice spoke up behind me, “Our friends are fine. We took out the Chimera and those chicks can take care of themselves anyways.” This voice sounded new and young, yet familiar and wise. As if it was always there to give its input, but only now did the messages come though. Spinning around, I came face-to-face with a Latino elf-like man, that appeared to be in his early 30s, who appeared to have a look in his eyes that looked like he drank 4 gallons of caffeine in half an hour and a slim, almost scrawny build to him.

The words finally clicked as I repeated cautiously, taking a hesitant step towards the man, “Our friends?”

The man chuckled, putting a hand on his hip, “Well yeah. Isn’t that part of how this whole rebirth thing works? “ Something in his words broke the barricade. The memories of the fight came back to me all at once like a fiery tornado. The Chimera, the flames, all of it. 

Looking down at my hands, I whispered, “This power… it’s so… well, powerful. What is it?” 

The man gave a saddened smile and took one of the hands, cupping it in his own as he explained, “This power is a curse. The power of the forge’s flames. I received this curse when I was born, and I guess even death and rebirth couldn’t break it. Normally, you would’ve figured it out when you were young, but I suppose accidently burning down your entire town gives your subconscious enough reason to bury its existence as much as possible, huh? And along with that power, it also suppressed me. Though I guess I’m used to being forgotten.”

I let a forced chuckle escape my lips as I commented, “Heh, I can relate.”

The man smiled, “I know. I was there. Pretty cool watching sick fights without having to do the work. Moving on, I don’t have long until you wake up and I finally get to be on the other end of the gifting system for I’m gonna give you some things that'll help you out. And they’re totally awesome so why not?” He let out a breath as he completely covered my hands with his. “The first one is my memories. Not all of them, but just my time in the demigod world. The second is my skills with the flames, a tool that’ll give you a wicked advantage in a fight.” A pale orange glow started to come off the man and I felt the sudden urge to close my eyes, which I did. I became overwhelmed with visions of fights and laughs, victories and struggles, losses and new beginnings, betrayals and forgiveness. It was these visions that the final piece fell into place for me to reach a realization.

Opening my eyes, I looked back up at the man, “You’re Leo Valdez.” 

Leo shook his head, “Smart kid. You certainly aren’t the worst new form I could’ve taken. Which brings me to my final gift.” He took off the tool belt that hung around his waist and handed it to me. As I put it on, he explained, “That’s pops’ belt. He gave it to me. When I died the others insisted that it stayed on my body. But, well, there’s not much to fix or build when you’re dead in Elysium. You’ll probably put it to much better use.”

Taking one final look up at him, I nodded, “I will. Thanks Leo.”

Leo’s smile turned sad as he replied, “I know. Go kick some butt, alright?” With that, my vision was overwhelmed in a bright light. The last thing I could make out was Leo’s whispered,

“Goodbye.” 


	10. Nadia - Can't Take It Anymore

**10 Nadia - Can’t Take It Anymore**

I found myself in chains. My routine has shifted so my containment wasn’t just a cell, but also having my wrists and ankles being bound in iron chains. The reason for this change originated from my several attempts to escape. Running, I wanted to run from here. Hope, the dream gave me hope to finally act on my desire for escape. The man told me people were coming, and Nico warned me I would need to escape to reach them. 

“Ready for training?” Standing at my cell door was a demigod with a scar running across one of his cheeks. I didn’t reply, only looked at the boy with desperate eyes, no longer having the strength to bury my vulnerability, much to my distaste. The boy sighed, pity in his eyes as he unlocked the cell door and approached me inside. Noticing the umbrella clipped to his hip, I smirked subtly. I watched as he unlocked all four clasps before I decided to act. I elbowed him in the face to send him stumbling back. Something clicked inside me and the area around me froze in time. In a second, I snatched up my weapon before getting behind the frozen boy. I unfroze the area and the boy fell into my grip, to which I followed through by pressing my umbrella sword to his throat.  
I hissed in his ear, “Which key is to get out of here?”

The boy choked out, “What… if I… don’t wanna… t-tell you? What’cha gonna… d-do? K-kill… me? Y-you don’t have… the guts.” To reply, I pulled back my weapon and shoved the boy forward. Before he could counter, I chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out. I grabbed his old fashion key ring and ran down the hall. A hellhound spotted me and howled in the air before charging at me. Looking around, I decided to use the wall to leap over the dog and stab it from above. Scanning the situation, I turned down one of the halls and followed the same route as my previous escape attempts. Soon enough, I finally reached the outdoors, the furthest I’ve ever made it before. I realized that this exit led to a cliff. Trying to find an escape, I took note of the snow hill below me. Just as I was planning my next move, a low growl behind me cut my thoughts off. I spun around and saw several hellhounds and a manticore behind them, all emerging from the pitch black darkness. They stalked towards me, corning off more and more of my possible options. Terror blared in my mind and senses, my instincts making me take steps closer and closer to the edge. Before I knew it, my foot hit the rim. Eyes wide, I looked down the drop before looking back up to the monsters. One of the hellhounds leapt at me, mouth open to bite my head off. I opened my umbrella and spun it above me to block the strike. I pushed back the dog and closed my weapon to stab it in the chest. At the time, I didn’t realize my mistake until it was too late. The force of that interaction had sent me tumbling over the edge. Panicked, I attempted to recover by stabbing my weapon into the side of the mountain. But despite my built up strength, my stamina paid the price. Which came back to strike me at this moment. I only could hold on for a few minutes before gravity overpowered me and I fell down to the below. Somehow, the snow broke my fall enough to avoid any detrimental injuries. A risk I should’ve prepared for instead of constantly jumping into action like a narrow minded fool. But no matter, for I can only move forward and take advantage of my progress.

With enough luck, I managed to make my way to the city. I turned back to notice the boy I knocked out and Tyche leading a group of demigods after me. In an attempt to lose them, I sprinted through the streets. Realizing the failure of that attempt, I examined the area for a plan B. An idea flashed in my mind and I sprinted into one of the alleys. Finding what I needed, I walked back out and blended in with the crowd. From the rooftops, the boy looked down at me and looked away, not noting my appearance. After all, I didn't leave with short hair and beanie, did I? Smirking, I continued to weave through the streets until I reached a small-timey souvenir shop. Hesitant, I opened the door and a bell rang out. The person behind the counter looked up to me. For some reason, the person opened their mouth on reflex but stopped and a confused expression crossed over them before looking back down at their work. I called out to the person, but they didn’t even flinch in response. Concern flickered in my mind as I took cautious steps closer to the person. Once I was within reach, I stretched out my hand and grabbed the person’s shoulder. Except the person swatted the touch like I was a simple insect. I suppose that’s all I’ve been left as. My mind so precariously put together that one event, one act of humanity sent it all crumbling down on itself. And now, I’m left in this worthless state. Ignored by all except those I’m forced on as a burden in the form of a damsel in distress. 

A voice spoke up behind me, “Don’t you get it yet? People like us never have anyone to turn to. No one else cares or can even understand.” I spun on my heel to come face-to-face with the hooded man. Blocking the front door were a smirking Tyche and the growling boy. I spun back to the worker. Except… they weren’t there. The lights above me flickered on off, on off, on off, and out. My breath became short and heavy as I took careful, calculated steps backwards towards the counter. 

Tyche let out a sickening laugh, rubbing her hands together, “Oh no, what a bad case of luck! Boo hoo!”

Terror made my body quiver as I whispered, staring straight at the man, “Please.” The man didn’t speak, just slowly lifted one arm towards me. He pointed at my chest and the other two jumped into action. Jumping into action, I pulled out my weapon to block Tyche’s dual blade. I pushed her off and froze time to readjust my handle around her ankle. I unfroze to slide around her, pulling her feet out from under her. I froze time again to stop a strike from the boy’s spear. I moved around him and unfroze, sending him stumbling forward in surprise. I kicked him in the back, sending him to the ground. I spun my umbrella to open it up over my shoulder just in time to block Tyche’s strike. I froze time to spin around and kick her in the side, unfreezing just in time to send her flying into the shelves. I smiled, falling for the gravest mistake of thinking I won.

A pressure in my back sent me to the ground. I rolled into a crouching position looking at the source of the attack. The hooded man was standing there with a blade in his hand. I raised my umbrella to fight him, but something screamed at me to do something, anything else. Instincts took over as I turned and flipped over the counter, dodging the man’s attack. I sprinted out of the side exit, leading me to a small alley. I began sprinting down one way as I stumbled and fell to my knees. I spun around to find the cause, but there was nothing small enough for me to have failed to notice while also being large enough to trip me. All I noticed was the puddle of water leaking out of a broken pipe. It was almost like the water… grabbed me. No, that’s not possible. I was just careless and now I’m becoming so selfish I’m blaming the impossible.

The man walked out after and stood above me. He smiled maliciously down at me as he raised his blade. He laughed, “You’ve caused a lot of trouble, but you’re a long way from home. You ain’t got nowhere to run and no one to help you. So. Give. Up.” Everything went numb all at once and my vision went to black. 

I woke up back in chains, back in a cage, back in a dungeon. Tyche called out to me, “Why do you keep trying? You never actually get away, nor will you ever. So why keep fighting the inevitable? He’ll get what he wants. He always does.”

Weakly, I coughed out, spitting out blood with each word, “I… doubt… th-that.”

Tyche smirked, a twinkle in her eye, “You’ll never understand. I may not understand why you’re fighting back, but I’m sure you’ll lose that reason soon enough.” Why… am I fighting? My mind strained for an answer, but it doesn’t have the strength. I’m just tired. So… tired. 


	11. Anastasia - Too Many Emotions

**11 Anastasia - Too Many Emotions**

We’re almost there! We’ve almost made it to San Francisco! To Nadia! Right, I should back up a bit. So after Keith woke up, we discovered a weird belt around his waist. Whenever someone asked him about it, his eyes became unfamiliar and he’d try to no-so-subtly change the subject to the point we eventually gave up. We also left Sarah behind in the city. Keith tried to protest, but Sarah just shook her head and replied, “No Keith, I was hoping you could move here and join me. And when I saw you, I thought you came for me. But fate had different plans for us. You’ve changed, Keith. If that monster attacked us back when we were dating, you would’ve hid behind me. You’re not the same boy I fell in love with, Keith, and that’s a good thing. You have a mission and people who care about you now. I’d just be out of place. I promise, you can still come visit whenever you want, alright? Everything’ll work out ok. Besides,” She let out a chuckle, “I don’t think I’d want more monster attacks every week.” After that, Keith seemed down, but he managed to accept she was right.

I overheard him say later on, “Heh, of course she was right. That girl knows me better than I know myself.” 

The intercom above me snapped me back to the present, “Arriving at San Francisco.”

Silena stood up across from me, “Alright, it’s time for the final challenge.”

Nearby, Thalia warned, “Don’t let your guard down. I have a feeling whoever took Nadia won’t give her up without a fight.” 

Keith punched his hand, creating a burst of smoke, bragging, “Oh please, they’ll be no match for us.”

Silena wacked him in the back of the head, “Are you deaf? We can’t afford being cocky now. Not when we’re so close.” I nodded, my chest burning and body practically glowing with eagerness. We hopped off the train and Thalia led the way through the city until we reached a mountain that screamed nightmares just with appearance alone. The bottom half was pitch black with ashy snow covering it. The top half was hidden behind charcoal clouds. Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards the mountain,

“Here we go.”

**\- Nadia -**

Once again I found Tyche at my cell door, she warned, “No funny business. We’re losing our patience with you.”

Desperate, I spoke, “Why? You said you follow him, but surely some part of you knows that what he’s doing isn’t right.”

Tyche groaned, “Not this again. Things aren’t as simple as just black and white. I care too much to abandon him.” Why? Why must she be so stubborn? She stays so firm to her beliefs that… wait. I couldn’t help the smile touching my lips as an idea came to mind.

I asked her, my voice sharp but careful, “That man’s falling further and further into darkness with this plan. Freeing me would mess with his plans enough for him to realize that! If things aren’t as black and white, he’d understand! You want to save him, don’t you?” Tyche froze, and I could tell by her darkened expression that the words sank in. For a second, I felt hope flicker to life inside me.

That was, until Tyche ordered, “Quiet with your naiveness. We’ve wasted enough time.” Without another word, I reluctantly followed her through the crusty halls. The hope inside me dimmed until I realized the path we were taking. I opened my mouth but Tyche turned back to me, smiling as she put a finger to her lips. We found ourselves on the outside, no tail and no fears. Towards one direction was a cliff that dropped into the clouds. To the other a creek that spilled over into a waterfall. And in front of me… was her. 

**-Anastasia-**

I couldn’t believe it. I thought, feared, believed I was back in another realistic dream. One that will snap me back to reality any moment. But it wasn’t. Standing in front of me was the person I cared about most. She had an expression of shock, bliss, and relief. One I surely mirrored. Tears poured out of my eyes, same for Nadia. Neither one of us moved, both too afraid one step would shatter the illusion. To my surprise, my feet decided to take the risk and started moving on their own towards the bluenette. Careful steps turned to speed walking to sprinting and leaping into her arms, sending both of us into the snow. Nadia gave me a soft smile and returned my hug. Neither of us spoke, too many thoughts and no words fit enough to capture them.

Finally, I whimpered, “Nadia! I’m sorry! I’m sorry for not realizing you were in pain! I’m sorry for not being there sooner for you! I’m sorry for not acknowledging the burden you were carrying!” The tears were waterfalls, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Nadia pulled me closer and whispered, “There’s nothing to forgive, Anastasia. You saved me. You gave me hope. You came for me when no one else cared.” Guilt melted into relief as I buried my face in her chest. At that moment there was no past, no future, no burdens, no fears, nothing but the two of us in each other’s arms.

The moment was forced to end as a voice I didn’t recognize spoke up, “Ahem, hate to break this… touching moment. But if you want to leave with your heads, we need to go. Now.” It was then I noticed the girl standing behind Nadia. There was an aura of jealousy and longing around her. It… saddened me to notice. 

Behind me, Silena agreed, “No arguments here. I can get us back to the city.”

The girl crossed her arms, “No offense, but who are you? You don’t exactly seem like the trustworthy type.”

Silena stepped towards her, “Why you-!”

Thalia stopped her, ordering, “Stop.” I noticed a glare that was a blend of confusion, hatred, and fear. I followed her gaze to the mystery girl’s waist. Hanging there was a sword that was one half steel and the other bronze. Thalia asked, her tone cold and emotionless, “You. Where did you get that blade?”

The girl smirked as she put a hand on the blade, “This? It’s based on an old legendary weapon called Backbiter. He gave me the idea, said it’s the only blade that scared him.” The four of us, minus Silena, exchanged looks of fear and confusion. 

Getting to my feet, I asked, “Who?”

On cue, a male voice spoke up from the shadows, “You disappoint me, Tyche. You didn’t think I’d let you take my key to victory without a fight, did you?” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Thalia’s reaction. Her whole body stiffened and her arms shook. Her eyes were balloons with tears in the corners.

I heard her whisper, “No, please no. I-It can’t be. It can’t be…” All six of us turned to the cave of darkness and I spotted the source of the voice standing in the center. His features were hidden in the shadows save his grey hood. Slowly, he reached up and pulled back the hood. At the same time, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bronze ballpoint pen. He removed the cap and the pen grew into a sword. The glow illuminated his face, revealing messy pitch-black hair and sea green eyes with an unfamiliar malice behind them. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“...Percy?” 


	12. Anastasia - What in Hades?

**12 Anastasia - What in Hades?**

Percy raised his blade to our group and ordered with a chilling sternness, “If you want to leave, I demand you return Nadia. Nadia, you don’t want your friends to get hurt anymore because of you, right?” 

Nadia snapped at him, “Yeah right! You’ll probably just hurt them anyways!”

Percy turned his gaze to the new girl, “Tyche, you said you would do anything to show your gratitude, right? Then prove yourself to be true to your words and grab her. I might be able to forgive your vile betrayal.” 

Tyche looked between us and him, holding up her hands, “No, I’m sorry Percy. But I won’t help you fall deeper into darkness. What you’re doing is evil, don’t you see? But you can still be saved! You’ll just have to find another-”

Percy screamed, his voice seething in rage, “There is no other way!” Everyone froze. Time itself seemed to hit pause. Negativity and tension weighed in the air, anticipating what came next. An arrow shot through the silence, grazing Percy’s ear. 

I spun around to see Silena responsible, yelling, “I’ll stop you, no matter if you’re a legendary hero or peasant on the street!” She hooked one of her fire arrows and fired it straight at Percy’s face. He caught it between his fingers and threw it back at Silena. The explosion threw Thalia and Keith towards the creek and Silena over the edge. No, no! That… That can’t be right! No! Keith and I ran to look over the edge. All there was were pale ash clouds, no life in sight. My mind short-circuited. No. No! Oh no…

Realization hit me as I looked at Keith, his expression pure ice. His eyes became infernos of fury and hatred. He stood up and turned towards Percy, who was now halfway to our group. His voice exploded as he boomed, “ **I’ll Kill You!** ” His axe erupted in blue flames as he charged towards the hero, the ground turning to ash beneath his feet. Reaching him, Keith swung his weapon, but Percy blocked with ease.

Percy growled, “So it is you, Leo. I’d recognize those fiery eyes anywhere. I wish you stayed dead.” With that, he kicked the shorter boy in the side, sending him flying. Keith managed to flip and land on his feet. Terror set in when I realized what he was in front of. A creek. Percy smirked as the water swirled around Keith, concealing him in a hurricane. Despite the cocky smirk, Percy’s eyes revealed regret and guilt. 

I snapped to attention as Nadia yelled, “Like I’ll let you guys fight alone!” She shot towards the black-haired boy and tried to strike him with her umbrella, but he blocked with ease. I noticed the smirk on Nadia’s face as she slid her weapon up so the handle hooked on the other’s blade. She yanked the weapon to the side and kicked Percy in the chest. Sliding back, he glared at her. She vanished and reappeared behind him. She tried to strike his back, but he spun around and caught her weapon. Before she could react, he kneed her in the stomach. Falling back, she slid along the snow; her weapon slid out of reach. As she got up, the snow around her melted and covered her legs, refreezing to ice as they took their shape. Panic finally gave my body the option to move, but Tyche grabbed me and held her blade across my chest. 

She hissed, “I’m still gonna protect him, evil or not. So you’re staying here.” I looked back to the fight to see Percy approaching Nadia, who struggled to break free. I called out to her as Percy raised his blade. 

To my luck, a shield came between them and blocked the strike. Standing there was Thalia, tears pouring down her cheeks. The two pushed against each other as Thalia cried out, her voice cracking, “Why? You’re a hero Percy! Not a villain! Why are you doing all of this? Answer me!” But Percy stayed silent, fury painting his expression. I looked into his eyes to see desperation, sadness, and overwhelming guilt. But Thalia didn’t catch on as her expression darkened, seething with pain, “Fine then.” She lifted her spear, which crackled with blue-white electricity. Her eyes glowed with the same energy, “I won’t hold back.” she shoved her shield forward, sending the other boy stumbling back. She threw down her spear at his chest. But, to everyone’s surprise, Percy caught the spear in his gloved hand. He spun in a circle, snapping the weapon and cutting her across the chest all in one motion. He kicked her back and she slammed into the rock wall, leaving cracks and stains of blood. I watched in horror as she slid to the ground, unconscious. No, no, no, no, no , no, no, no, no, 

**“** **_NO!_ ** ” A bright beam came from above and struck Tyche and Percy in the eyes, blinding them and forcing Tyche to release her grip. I ran to Thalia and tried for a pulse. 

Underneath my breath, I begged, “Please, please oh gods Thalia. Please don’t die. I-I don’t want to lose anyone else!” A bright glow grew inside me and washed over the girl. A second passed before I noticed the wound slowly closing. Smiling with pure relief, I looked up to the others and my joy died as quickly as it came. Percy recovered from the attack and attempted to go for another swing, but was cut off by a loud slam. I followed his gaze to the cliff. 

Standing there was Silena in the hero pose, a hook and rope on the edge behind her. She stood up, shouting, “Grappling hook motherfuckers!” She fired an arrow at Percy and… it whizzed past him. But Silena’s composure didn’t crack.

On the other side of Percy, the creek exploded in green flames. Keith stood in the center, hair, eyes, and axe covered in the fire. He let out a murderous yell and sprinted towards Percy. He threw down his axe and a green strike shot forward and came between the two. Percy jumped back as the heat melted the ice. She rolled out of the way of Percy’s jump strike and snatched up her weapon. Leaping to her feet, she held up her open umbrella to block Percy’s strike. She shoved the weapon forward, closing it in the process. The attack grazed his side and he fell to his knees. Meanwhile, the others ran over to the two of us. 

As the darkness washed over us, the last thing I heard was a psychotic scream of pure agony. 

**-Keith-**

How could this happen? Why Percy? Why us? What went wrong? My mind flashed through memories of meeting the teen, our jokes, the pain of losing him, the relief of seeing him again, the tight chested guilt of leaving him, seeing the joy in his eyes when all of us reunited. I compared his warm eyes with the stormy eyes which haunted dreams. Seeing him there, what he did, what he said, it all cut though my soul deeper than if he died.

_ “I wish you stayed dead.”  _

Those words haunted my soul. A chord had been struck, no, snapped within me. My mind conflicted between my friends of the past and protecting my family of the present. One group I traveled across the globe with, the other I traveled across the country with. One group brought me back from the darkest times, the other stayed with me even when I was lost. I have to go find Percy and try to talk him out of it. No! I have to stay and make sure the others get to safety! N-No!

These memories hurt. My whole being in torn in two. Even my own name is thrown into question in this mental war. What do I do? Who do I go with? What can I do? What happens now? What would I think’s right? Who… who am I now? 

“Keith!” A voice snaps me back as one. Th-That’s right. I used to be Leo, but no longer. Keith, that’s who I am now. Keith Volace, it sounds right. Blinking, I looked around and took in my group around me. Silena was next to me, behind her Nadia and Anastasia were supporting Thalia, Anastasia still healing her. Silena stepped towards me and rested her hand on my shoulder, “You alright?” 

I smiled at them, “Yeah.” And, for the moment, it wasn’t a lie. At least, for that one moment my past and present self were synced. A memory flashed in my mind as I blurted out, “Oh! I know where we can go for help! Follow me!” Without another word, the others trailed behind me as I let the way through the city. Part of me was overjoyed at the aspect of standing in the front of it all instead of hiding behind others like a shield. But another part shook in terror at the thought of leading them into a trap. My mind flashed back to older people looking down at me with fury and disgust in their eyes. I fell further, to campers of various ages looking at me with fear or hatred. Further, to a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, Jason, watch me with annoyance. Further, to looking up to a woman, a nanny, and feeling the core of me with pure rage. Burning, destroying, running, all boiling inside me, all challenging each other, all threatening to spill over. Make it stop! Stop! STOP!

“Keith stop!” I halted in my tracks. The roaring in my brain quieted once more and I realized what I was doing. My hair was in a mess, my eyes stung, my legs were quaking. My whole body entered panic mode. I looked to the side to see that Anastasia handed off Thalia to Silena so she could grab my shoulders. Looking down, I saw her eyes act like windows to reveal the fear, worry, and concern hidden beneath. What have I done? 

I pulled the girl into a hug, whispering, “You just can’t stop saving people, can you?”

Unfortunately, Nadia ruined the moment, “Uh Keith, are you sure you know where you’re going? Because you’re kind of leading us to a sewer tunnel.” Looking back ahead of me, I smiled when I saw she was right. Across the street was a tunnel that appeared to head into pure darkness. Standing in front were two armed teens around our age. The girl had long brown hair with a bow in her hands, and the boy had bright blond hair with an axe in his hands.

The girl raised her head and shouted, “Hey! Keith! You’re here! Wait, why are you here?” I ran over to them.

The boy raised his weapon at the others, “Wait, who are they?”

Silena replied, “Shouldn’t we be asking you that?” Ironic, because I knew she already knew the answer to the question. 

I opened my mouth, but the girl noticed our fifth member, “Wait, is that Thalia Grace?”

Nadia groaned, readjusting her grip, “Ugh, yeah and she’s sort of in need of emergency medical attention. Now.” 

Reluctantly, the boy nodded, “Right. You better come in.” The two walked into the tunnel and vanished from sight. The others, minus Silena, just shot me a look that screamed, ‘Are they serious?’ To respond, I just gave them a demigod-classic smirk and vanished into the tunnel. 


	13. Nadia - What Happens Next?

**13 Nadia - What Happens Next?**

Hesitantly, the others and I walked through the tunnel. We emerged out of a bright city filled with Rome-styled buildings, sparkling rivers, and thousands of people with several wearing dark purple shirts. Next to me, I heard Anastasia whisper, “What… is this place?”

The girl in armor gestured to the camp, “Welcome to Camp Jupiter! Home of all- most Roman demigods and legacies!”

The boy rolled his eyes, “We don’t have time for this. Alexa, take Thalia to the Apothecary. I’ll deal with these four.” The girl, Alexa, nodded and carefully grabbed Thalia. As she ran off, the boy turned to us, “I suppose names are in order. I am Kyle Grace, son of Jason Grace and Piper McLean as well as Praetor. That girl who left is Alexa Zhang, daughter of Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque. You all are?”

“Keith Volace, but you knew that.”

“Anastasia Roma, pleased to meet you.”

“Silena.”

“Nadia Nyx.”

Kyle nodded to us, “Nice to meet all of you. There is one more person you have to meet.” He began walking off. The four of us looked at each other before chasing after him. He led us to the top of one of the hills and into what appeared to be a throne room. Sitting in one of the chairs was a woman that gave an aura of respect despite not being much older than our group. 

The girl spoke, her voice thunder, “Kyle, who have you brought with you?”

Kyle crossed his arms, “We’re still equals, Harli, I’m not required to answer.”

The girl smirked, resting her chin on her hand, “I know. But is it truly improper for me to ask regardless?”

Kyle sighed, “Whatever. These Greek demigods are Keith, Anastasia, Silena, and Nadia. Greeks, this is-”

The girl stood up, curtsying, “Harli Ramirez-Arellano, daughter of ex-Praetor Reyna Ramirez-Arellano as well as a legacy of Bellona, goddess of war. I am Praetor, alongside Kyle. Who are your parents?”

Keith stepped forward, “Son of Hephaestus.”

“Daughter of Apollo.”

“Daughter of Hades.”

“Daughter… Daughter of Chronos.” 

Harli never reacted as we each gave our answer. Even afterwards, her face remained stoic as she stepped down in front of Silena. Harli analyzed the other girl before turning to the rest of us, “And why did you come here?” 

Anastasia explained weakly, “I-It’s a… a long story. The L-Lieutenant of Artemis… Thalia Grace, she… she was badly injured. We… We needed a place to recover.”

Harli continued, “And who dared to attack a daughter of Ju- Zeus, and lived to tell the tale?” The four of us fell silent. Heavy tension fell over us as horrific memories filtered to the surface within my mind. 

Silena requested softly, “May we use an I-M? It would be best if we explained to Camp Half-Blood as well. It’s just… we’d rather not relive that moment more than necessary.” Harli shot us a small nod and led us to a small waterfall. She passed Anastasia a single gold coin, who threw it into the stream and called out for Rachel. Instinct tempted me to hide behind the others. The guilt of my weakness and cowardice pooled within me. Just as my feet began to shift, a feeling of familiar warmth appeared in my hand. Anastasia took my hand, shooting me a comforting smile.

Rachel’s face appeared through the stream, the office of the Big House behind her, “Anastasia? Is that you? How’s your quest going?”

Anastasia nodded, “Really well, actually! We’re at Camp Jupiter and…” On cue, I stepped forward. “We saved Nadia.”

I lowered my head, whispering, “Rachel, I-”

To my surprise, the women cut me off, “That’s amazing. I’m thankful you’re safe, Nadia. And I’m glad you and Keith managed to be successful with your quest, Anastasia.”

Anastasia started, “But what about-?” Keith cut her off with a warning glance, catching my eye. 

Rachel realized, “Wait, if you’re safe and the quest was a success, why the call? You do know you don’t have to check in, right?” Once again, the mood darkened and tension choked my throat.

Anastasia requested, “Can you bring the counselors?”

From the other end, Mr. D came into view, “Already here, Ally.”

Chiron appeared next to him, “Something wrong, Anastasia?”

Anastasia took a deep breath, “It’s about the person who took Nadia and attacked our group. It’s…”

Rachel leaned forward, “Anastasia, who’s responsible?”

“Percy Jackson.”

Rachel gasped, “What? No! No… that isn’t possible! Percy’s gone! And he would never-!” 

Silena snapped, “Well clearly it is possible because he did. Percy snatched up Nadia and nearly killed us! And he doesn’t seem like he’s going to surrender anytime soon.” 

Chiron looked over at her, “I’m sorry, but who-?” 

Keith cut him off, “Chiron. I-It was him.” Everyone looked at the blond, who’s expression was completely unreadable, even his eyes were clouded over his true emotions. 

Rachel’s eyes widened as her shock morphed into a frown, “Those eyes… That’s you, isn’t it Leo? Gods, how did I not recognize your soul?”

Keith stood up, “Not anymore.” Before anyone spoke up, he left.

Anastasia turned to Silena, “Is he gonna be alright?”

Silena let out a pained sigh, “Hopefully.”

I stepped forward, “Excuse me, Percy likely knows about camp Jupiter, right? That means we only have limited time before he manages to storm the place. Normally, I’d say we’d attempt to overwhelm him, but-”

Behind us, Harli barked, “As if I’d risk my people for your fruitless cause!”

I continued calmly, “But based on the fact he managed to inflict such damage on us without a scratch, not to mention his several powerful allies, I’d say we need a different plan.”

Rachel smirked, “You need help and I know just who to call.” And with that, the trio vanished back into the mist. We exchanged nervous glances, unsure of our next move.

Harli declared, “I suppose we are waiting until either Percy or help arrives. I suggest you all become adjusted to the camp. Kyle, you and I have to discuss boosting our defenses.” Kyle nodded and the two left.

Taking a deep breath, Anastasia stood up, “I want to go find Thalia and see her condition. I’ll also find a place to rest. Do you want to join me, Nadia?” She began to walk off, but I grabbed her shoulder, not removing my gaze from the third girl in our group. I began to have my suspicion when I first met her today, but that conversation now confirmed it.

I called out, “Silena, who are you? Why don’t you share your last name? Why can only a few people remember who you are?”

Anastasia looked between us, “Silena? Nadia? What are you…?”

Silena smirked, her eyes cloaked in shadow, “Took you long enough.” 


	14. Silena - Long Past Due

**14 Silena - Long Past Due**

My past as a demigod is certainly not one most consider… normal, to say the least. After all, my discovery was thanks to escaping black slaves. Yep, slave. My parents, my mother had remarried, were a major help in the Underground Railroad. My mother was sly, clever at tricking hunters through her kind words twisted in a way no hunter ever suspected her of leading them for days in the wrong direction while my father led the slaves to Lake Michigan. I tried all I could to help, using my quickly discovered gift to trick the hunters further. Though I could only do so much, after all I was four. 

But the problems arose when my father’s travels took him longer than expected. His screams still roared in my ears. My mother’s desperate, confused cries rung through my soul. Unfamiliar eyes and panicked expressions. Words of hatred, sharpened with vileness. A voice in my mind, one that sounded strange but still comforting, spoke, 

“Run.”

I complied, tears pouring down my cheeks, lungs aching. Exhaustion stole my balance from underneath my feet. I tripped, tumbling down the hill. Aching, I looked over my bleeding wounds and torn clothes. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a folded piece of paper with an attached train ticket. Hesitantly, I picked it up and read the paper, “Lu-lotus… fla-flower?” 

That’s where I found myself next. The place I eternally marked as the point of no return. But, at the time, the place felt like Paradise. After what felt like a week, two other children noticed me. They were siblings, a 12-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother. The person who brought them noticed me in horror and promised to find a way to let me out, Yet, he never returned. The kids left as well, never returning. Once again, I found myself alone. No sense of security, no sense of purpose, no sense of the trap I had found myself locked in.

At least, until the boy finally returned. I had no clue of how long I had stayed in that place, but I knew right away something didn’t add up. After all, the boy grew up into a young man. He introduced himself as Nico Di Angelo, tellingly we were half siblings. 

I recalled him explaining, “I came here to attempt to shut this place down once and for all. Or, at the very least, try to get people out and help them integrate back into society. Yet, you, I remember you now. How… how old are you?” I opened my mouth, but my mind went blank. How old was I? How much time had passed? Has my birthday already passed? When was my birthday? Nico noticed my silence, “I see.. What’s your name?” Once again, my mind was blank. I flashed back to the comforting sounds of my mother, the cheerful laughter of my father, both calling out a single name.

“Silena.”

Nico bent down to face me, “Well then, Silena, you have a lot to learn. Do you want to start your lessons?” There was little hesitancy within my decision before I leapt into the man’s arms. It took a day before he could convince the place to leave, and I could feel his fear as we left. He trained me, not just in mortal skills but in demigod matters. That’s how I spent the next 5 years. I not only trained with him privately, but at Camp Half-Blood, my new home, I met a boy who felt as alone as me. 2 kids who couldn’t place where we came from nor could place where we were going. And when Nico left one day, never to return, the boy stayed, just us two.

And now, it wasn’t just us. The realization struck me as I looked at the two cousins staring back at me. Nadia analyzed me with shock and confusion. Anastasia reached for me hesitantly, tears of sympathy in her eyes. Her control must’ve surrendered because she charged towards me and tackled me in a hug. The blond wept, “That’s awful! I’m so sorry for not helping you!” Geez, I see what Keith was talking about when he complained this girl was overly emotional over surprising matters. 

Rolling my eyes, I assured her, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, didn’t you say you were going to do something?”

Anastasia shot up, “That’s right! Come on, Nadia, we should go.” She began walking off, but stopped just before she reached the door. Taking a deep breath, she looked back to me with guilty eyes, “Are you going to be okay?” How ironic. My experience revealed that no demigod can truly answer yes. Rarely does any mortal answer honestly. One asks that because they notice a problem, yet the other person answers they’re perfectly fine. Only a candid soul or a self-centered one replies otherwise.

I forced a smile, “Who do you think I am? I’ll be fine, I’m just gonna chat with Keith. That boy must be on something to be that stoic. We’ll catch up with you later.” Anastasia appeared reluctant, but left regardless. I let out a sigh, “Pay it forward, I guess.” I left the building and explored the camp in search of a dirty, blond teen. Surprisingly, there turned out to be a lot of them.

But I eventually found him sitting near the entrance. His eyes were distant and his expression blank, almost like he seemed somewhere else. I debated attempting to scare him, which wouldn’t be difficult. I ended up choosing to take a seat next to him and elbowing him lightly, “Hey loser.”

Keith’s eyes stayed dim as he replied meekly, “Hey Silena.”

I frowned, in all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him this bad, “What’s wrong?”

Keith sighed, “It’s nothing. Just… I needed space to think.”

I narrowed my gaze, “You’re lying. Keith, tell me what’s wrong.”

Keith shot me a surprising glare, “You’re one to talk.”

I scooted away from him, the overwhelming dark aura spilling off the boy in waves as I blurted out, “What? What are you talking about?” 

Keith snapped, “You can’t just show up demanding to have me share my problems! You can’t keep pretending that we still share everything with each other! Not when I know you’re hiding your issues from me!”

“What are you saying?”

Keith stood up, “You know exactly what! Don’t you think I’ve noticed you disappearing more often? Don’t you think I’ve known about your sleeping problems? Why are you hiding these things from me? Why-”

“Why does it matter?” This… This idiot! I felt fire, boiling rage and frustration. I clenched my fists, fury controlling my thoughts, “This isn’t about me! So what if my schedule changed? So what if I’m sleeping differently? I’m a girl! We change! But this isn’t about me! I’m asking you about your problems! This isn’t about me, it’s about you!” Keith jumped back, shocked at my outburst.

He hesitated, “I...I’m sorry. I’ve just been… I’ve been a mess.”

I rested my hand on his back, “Is it about the whole rebirth thing? I can’t believe Rachel called you Leo when she knew full well you-”

“But it’s not just her! So many people now look at me and only see him! You say I’m a different person, but am I? I-I- We have the same soul, the same powers, the same father. I-I feel like Keith, Keith’s who I’ve been my entire life. But these memories that’s fresh in my mind and these emotions… Just where did Leo end and Keith begin? Did he ever begin? I just… the answer feels like it should come easily but it doesn’t!”

I cut him off, “Why does it matter?”

He looked up at me, “What?”

I took his hands in my own, “Why does that matter? Who cares if you can’t tell where Leo ended and Keith began? It doesn’t make a difference to me. And it shouldn’t make a difference to you. You said it yourself, you’re both the same person in the end. Maybe you aren’t just Keith anymore, but you’re not just Leo either. Both of their experiences, both of their emotions, both of their thoughts, they’re all yours. You talk like these are two different people entirely, but they’re not! They just have different names! Different aliases! You don’t read about superheroes who have identity crises between their hero and civilian identities, do you? Of course not! They know full well that it’s the same person in the end. Now’s no different. You went by the name Leo before but you just got a name change!” I lifted his hands and pressed them against his chest, “Still the same heartbeat, still the same nerd brain, still the same dorky idiot.”

Keith let out a soft chuckle, “Pretty sure you just contradicted yourself there.” 

I yanked my hands free and crossed my arms, “Jeez, I try to help and this is how you repay me?” A few seconds of silence passed before we burst into a fit of laughter. 

Keith calmed down after a minute, “Thanks, Silena. But can we stay here for a minute before joining the others?” 

I rolled my eyes, “Whatever, moron.” For only a few seconds, there was no threat. No dark past. No overhanging danger. No plans for the future. Just two friends joking and chatting like normal teens. Nico, did you ever have someone like that for you? 


	15. Anastasia - Not The Weirdest Conversation

**15 Anastasia - Not the Weirdest Conversation**

After Nadia separated from me to find a place to rest, I made my way to the apothecary. I found Thalia unconscious with her torso covered in bright white bandages stained with blood. Relief washed over me as I watched the steady movement of her chest. A voice spoke up next to me, “You must be the Greek Apollo girl responsible for healing her.” I spun around and came face-to-face with a blond man in his late 50s.

Hesitantly, I stepped back, “Y-Yeah, th-that’s me.”

The man smiled, sending a warm feeling through my veins, “Not bad. It was clearly your first time, sure. But you also have some talent.” 

I blushed with embarrassment as I denied, “W-What? No! I-I didn’t even know what I was doing! I just… well…”

The man cut me off, “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. Like I said, it was your first time. I doubt anyone actually knows what they’re doing the first time around. What I’m saying is Thalia should be grateful that you were there. Thals has a problem of charging into trouble without thinking.” 

I repeated, letting my confusion sneak through, “Thals?”

The man ignored me, “Being the one to care for her, I heard what happened. I believe it, but…”

I sighed, looking to the ground, “Never meet your heroes, right?”

The man replied, “No, that’s not it…” He trailed off before perking up, “Oh! There’s a place you should check out. Have you seen where the Neptune kids stay? It’s pretty neat, you should go check it out!” 

I tried to protest, “But-!” He cut me off by shoving me out of the building. I turned around, but he slammed the door in my face. Walking off, I grumbled, “Rude.” After asking around, I found myself standing in front of Neptune’s cabin. The building appeared well-kept overall, only minor damage here and there. In fact, it appeared completely untouched. The whole place, with its several empty beds and emptier rooms. An aura of abandonment emitted from its very presence. Neptune… so this is where Percy must’ve stayed. He really left an impact on everyone’s lives, even after he passed. And now that he’s back, I have to… take… his life. This unkillable demigod, do I even stand a chance? Does anyone?

“You know, he told me the first time he stayed here, he was just as conflicted.” I spun on my heel to see a scrawny man in his 30s with… goat legs, I think?

Confused, I questioned, “I’m sorry if this comes out rude, but who- what are you, exactly?”

The man (?) burst out in chest-filled laughter, “You mean to tell me that you’ve never met a satyr before?” I frowned, the satyr meant it as a joke, but the guilt just added more weight on my soul. The man noticed, concern in his eyes, “Hey, what’s wrong? I may be a stranger, but I promise I’m good with emotions. Satyr speciality!” 

I felt a small smile grow on my lips as I replied, “I heard. It’s just… Percy Jackson’s now a villain, but before he left such a positive impact wherever he went. But now… he’s a threat. One that I have to fight or else he’s gonna take my cousin from me and use her for something unforgivable! But I just… I don’t want to fight him! I don’t! But I just got Nadia back and… and-”

The older man cut me off calmly, “I get it. Percy did do a lot of good, for both camps. But the dude’s still human, they have a bad case of miscommunication. Sure Percy’s changed a lot, but hurting the people he cares about? That’s impossible, for him especially. There has to be a reason for his actions. For all you know, there may be something deeper hidden that may give you a different option. Especially with Percy, who never fights unless he sees no other option.”

I pointed out, “You talk as if you know him.”

The satyr ignored my statement, “Head towards the training grounds. If you really think you’re the one who has to take down Percy, she’s one of the few who knows how.” I followed his gaze towards a nearby valley with an area that looked like a small arena. 

Realization of my mistake struck me as I turned back, “What, I never asked your-” Yet, I found only empty space. Alone, again. Why didn’t anyone seem to want to share their names? Is there something more to this? Something I’m… just not seeing?

No matter, I made my way to the arena the satyr suggested. I noticed right away the place was unusually empty. Everything was set up in perfect order and cleaned to the point of brand new. There was only an older woman in a wheelchair cleaning a spear. Her back faced me, but I already felt an aura of intimidation and strength overwhelming me. I opened my mouth, but the woman snapped, “You gonna say something or stand there looking like an idiot?” 

Shocked, I stuttered, “W-Well, it’s just- I wasn’t expecting-”

That was the wrong choice of words, which I learned when the woman cut me off, her voice sharp with rage, “What? Someone in a wheelchair? Spoiler alert, injuries exist. The sunshine children and their sunny legacies can’t heal everything. The more you know, or whatever. So you can do whatever you want, just don’t bother me, girl.” Terrified, I complied and chose to look closer at the weapons area. I may have misheard, but I could hear the woman grumble, “Dam, Jackson. Just my luck that when you finally return, I can’t even fight you. You were just so lazy you couldn’t bother coming a few years sooner.” Despite the spite in her voice, one glance to her eyes spoke a different story. That look, one I noticed matched everyone I've met so far, one of loss and guilt. 

Hesitant, I spoke up, “Hey, did you-”

The woman cut me off, her eyes flaming with murderous intent, “Didn’t I say to leave me alone? I know you have something more important to do than stand around and annoy a disabled woman.”

Just then, Keith and Silena decided to appear. Keith started, “Hey Anastasia, Rachel let us know that-” He cut himself off as his eyes met the woman’s. A beat of silent tension passed before Keith shook his head and continued, “Uh, yeah, Rachel contacted the help she mentioned and they’re going to meet with us in the strategy room, or something.” I nodded and the three of us ran out. Little did I know, the woman’s eyes followed us as we ran out, a small smirk on her lips.

She chuckled, “This is gonna be a real treat.” 

We found ourselves in a bronze and silver colored room with a giant dark wood table and chairs, which had carvings of a different number or godly symbol each. At one end was Harli with Kyle in the seat next to her. Nadia sat in the seat across from Kyle, her eyes closed in thought. Silena asked, approaching the trio, “So where are they?”

Harli only smiled, “You’ll see. Based on what Kyle saw, I have a feeling you might recognize them.” What? Wait, was Kyle spying on me?

On cue, said people walked in the doorway on the other end of the table. They were- wait, hang on! The trio of adults that entered were none other than the very adults I chatted with! The woman smirked, “Told you I knew you had more important things to do, Anastasia Roma.”

To my surprise, Keith stepped forward, smiling, “I knew I recognized you three. Will Solace, resident sunshine boy; Grover Underwood, resident goat boy; and Clarisse La Rue, resident angry bi-”

Clarisse snapped, “And you, Leo Valdez, resident repair boy.” Keith frowned and his eyes dimmed. Calmly, Silena placed a hand on his shoulder and the two exchanged a silent conversation. 

Hesitant, Keith looked back to the trio, correcting, “Actually, I go by Keith now. Keith Volace.” 

Smiling, Will ruffled the shorter blond’s hair, “Alright then, Keith it is. Calling you Leo felt wrong, anyways.”

Kyle spoke up, “Can we please get back on topic, please?”

Harli nodded, her face expressionless, “Certainly. So, the three of you were all close to Percy Jackson, correct?”

Grover replied, “That’s right. Wll dated Nico, Percy’s cousin. Clarisse and Percy were good friends and bitter rivals. And I had been Percy’s best friend since before camp. But Le- sorry, Keith, you have Leo’s memories, right? You must know some things to help us out here.” 

Keith pondered, “I… maybe. I haven’t really scoured my memories with all that’s been going on.” He closed his eyes but his focused mindset seeped through. He murmured, “Percy… he cared about his friends more than anything. He… tried to bury his emotions to appear stronger. He was… stubborn, but at times gullible. Especially when important stuff was on the line. He was much better at strength than brains… which Annabeth helped with using her own brains.”

Nadia spoke up, “Well clearly something must have changed between then and now. Not only the obvious fact that he nearly killed Thalia, his own cousin, but he seemed extremely clever. He tried to convince me to join him, and he seemed to know exactly what to say to affect my beliefs to the very core.”

Clarisse crossed her arms, “So is it safe to say the Percy we’re dealing with is nothing like our resident Seaweed Brain?”

I suggested, “I don't… I don’t actually think so. During the fight, he regretted every second of the fight. He even said ‘There’s no other way’. I don’t think he’s doing all of this damage to cause harm. I think- it’s like you said, Grover, is it? There has to be something more going on. I think… I think it has to do with why he revived instead of became reborn like Leo-” 

“Or Nico.” Everyone’s gazes snapped to Silena. Most of us forgot she was there. She chose to lean against a wall and hide in shadows, surrounding herself in an eerie aura. Silena pushed off the wall and started walking towards us, explaining, “Despite common beliefs, souls don’t have a gender. Especially when it comes to rebirth. Not only that, but some souls can pass on items to their reborn forms they’ve gained a spiritual connection to. In Leo’s case, it was the belt of his dad. But for Nico… well I couldn’t help but notice a new piece of jewelry you’ve attained after you vanished, Nadia.”

Will’s eyes darted to the skull ring Nadia twisted on her hand, realizing, “That’s Nico’s ring! I know it for certain. He… He even has the same fidgeting habit when he’s upset.” 

Nadia took a deep breath, “Yes. I am the reborn form of Nico Di Angelo. But, unlike Leo, I couldn’t inherit his powers and he chose not to pass on his memories. All he told me was the threat Percy posed. I don’t think Percy recognized me. But, there’s something else I didn’t mention. The reason why he managed to gain so many demigod supporters despite the fact he also enlisted the support of several monsters. He doesn’t torture them, he barely tortures them mentally. He does make them test their loyalty, but you saw the farthest he’s got. Even with me, he never tried to push me beyond my limits when he made me hold the sky.” 

Grover cut in, “He made you what?” 

Silena muttered, “That explains the grey hair.”

I looked between them, “Wait, why does  _ that _ affect her hair?”

Nadia declared, “Not important. What matters is he always made sure to treat them like humans, not pawns. And, if Tyche was anything to go by, the demigods he recruited came from terrible backgrounds and he gave them a new chance, a new home, a new family.” 

Harli concluded, “So he goes for the very values his targets hold dear.”

Grover spoke up, “It goes deeper than that. There’s something that connects the people Percy tried to manipulate.”

Keith realized, “They’re all values and desires he had. He wanted to appear strong. He wanted friends and a family beyond his mother. He knows what to say to sway the values because they’re his own.”

Kyle spoke up, “So we should have the same thing.”

Harli turned to him, “That sounds like an idea.”

Kyle explained, “There’s no way we can beat the strongest demigod in history. At the very least, we cannot beat him physically. That only leaves one option, we resort to out-smarting him.”

Nadia continued, “And that reminds me of another thing Nico said. The only way we have the ability to… kill Percy… is if he lets us.”

Will asked softly, “Wait, do- is killing him really the only option we have?” One question, no, two words. That was all it took to raise the tension to max. Silence choked at the air and no one could grasp at their voice tight enough to reply.

“We have to.” It was I who took it upon myself to break the silence, to cut the tension. I explained, “Think about it. Think about everything we said. Percy saves demigods and hates the fact he’s attacking his friends. He’s clever at hitting the values he knows best and he claimed to believe that what he’s doing is the only way. He doesn’t want to bring ruin, he wants to die. For some reason he kept his memories while his friends got the chance to start over. He’s doing this because he wants us to kill him. He wants us to see him as a villain so we hate him and not feel guilty overtaking his life.”

Grover’s gaze darkened, “But, why? It… It explains so… explains so much. But just, what could make Percy want to die?”

Harli declared, “That is uncertain. But we must use our knowledge to gain the slight advantage. Clearly, he must think taking Nadia might give him some sort of gateway to dying. We must use that. She will return to Percy, but as bait. She will not be alone, her and two others-”

I spoke up, “It has to be her, Silena, and me.”

Keith blurted out, “What the fuck?”

Unfazed, I elaborated, “We have to bring Nadia, not only as bait but also because of her ability to freeze time. Silena must come because she’s our escape route if things turn south.”

Silena stepped forward, “Yeah, we get that, but why you? If there has to be a third person, wouldn’t Keith be better?”

Keith suggested, “Or maybe the trio that survived two wars and lived during one of the greatest Ages of Heroes?”

Will let out an awkward chuckle, “Er, that’s not the best choice. I mean… There's a reason we managed to survive this long. We’re, um, we’re not exactly part of the group you see on the front line, you know?”

Grover snickered, “Well, not anymore.”

“Screw you, goat boy!”

I studied the trio. On closer inspection, I realized just how scarred they were. Not just physically, with their scars scattered on their skin, grey hairs, and injuries, but mentally, with their tired eyes and sullen expressions. What once were great warriors of legends were now simple folk just trying to live through the day. I shook my head, “No. Keith should fill Thalia in when she wakes up. Besides, it was my prophecy, my quest. Remember the line about the quietest demigod? It’s about me. It didn’t mean literally, it meant the one who blends in the background the most. The rest of you all stand out, being Praetors, rare children, or war veterans. I don’t. I barely even have any special powers beyond accidently blinding people. He’d never expect me! The moment I realized just what we were up against I knew it would have to be me to commit the deed.” 

Clarisse scoffed, “Well no duh, I mean the rest of us already figured that out when Rachel filled us in.”

Silena shot her the classic ‘Silena skeptical glare’, “Really?”

Harli reminded, “It does appear only logical that you doing the deed is an appropriate conclusion. After all, this mess did start once the two of you arrived. And it was  _ your  _ cousin that was targeted.” I looked around to others, and they all appeared in agreement with the girl, though some looked more reluctant to admit that fact than others. Harli sighed, “It appears we are all in agreement. So it is settled, tomorrow Nadia, Silena, and Anastasia shall set out for Percy Jackson on Mount Othrys. However, tonight you three must have a healthy rest to ensure our victory. Grover, can I entrust you to escort them to their chambers? Dismissed.” Grover nodded and led our group to our rooms, leaving mine for last. 

Before leaving, he pulled me into a hug, whispering, “Please, save him from himself.”

I assured, returning the hug, “I will.” In reality, I couldn't tell if I said that for his sake or mine. But it didn’t matter, now I had to come back victorious. After all, I keep my word. 

In slumber, I found myself wandering once more through eerie darkness. Out of nowhere, a light blue glow appeared in the distance. Before I realized it, I started sprinting towards the light. I reached an image of the man I have to fight on his knees. He stared up at three old ladies, begging, “Please, haven’t I paid my dues? I want to be done with the fighting and danger! I was then you killed me and put me right back here! I fought in every war! I traveled on every quest! I just wanted a chance to start over, but I can’t! Why? Answer me!” The three women boomed in sync,

“ _ Your time had ended too soon _

_ Six souls revived for time _

_ Your sins will be your doom _

_ Only then may end a lifetime.” _

Percy cried out, standing up, “What does that mean? Why can’t you be straightforward for once?” He charged at the trio, only for them to vanish upon contact. All that remained was a single piece of paper, which Percy clutched with pure hatred in his eyes. Around him, the environment shifted to a chamber in, I presume, their hideout. 

Tyche entered, “Percy? I’m sorry, we failed to find them. But I’m sure we’ll get them tomorrow. After all, we have luck on our side.”

Studying the page, Percy replied, “Right. Make sure your team is rested and well fed before you head out. We don’t want you to be hungry cause I doubt San Francisco food can be classified as edible.” 

Tyche softly chuckled, “Heh, right. Well, you make sure you take care of yourself too, Percy. We won’t get very far without our leader.” With that, she walked out. So that confirms it. Even with the desperate state Percy seems to be in, he still puts the well being of others first.

Once Tyche vanished, Percy’s composure shattered as he crushed the old page in his hand. Running a hand through his hair, he let out a bone-chilling laughter. He switched out the paper for his bronze blade and chucked it towards the door. Tyche came through, slicing the wood in two, letting out a scream that rattled the deepest corners of my soul. Falling to his knees, he hugged his chest and let out crazed sobs, “Please… Please… I just want to rest…”


	16. Silena - And So It All Comes To This

**16 Silena - And So It All Comes To This**

The morning came too soon but not soon enough. We found ourselves gathered by the same exit we entered the camp in. Will pulled Nadia into a hug, ordering, “You better come back safe, you hear me? You may not be Nico, but there’s too much left undone for you to leave now.”

Nadia agreed, “I know. I expect to be hearing all the embarrassing stories about my past self when I come back.”

Will let out a strained chuckle, “You got it.”

Keith hugged me next, “I swear to the gods, Silena. If you make a visit to your father today, I will burst down there and force it to be a return trip.”

I laughed, genuinely for once, “Yeah, yeah, dork. I’ll just pretend you wouldn’t shit your pants at the first fight of my pops.” We broke apart with a final exchange of quiet chuckles. 

Harli approached Anastasia, commanding, “You three are tasked with taking out the menace named Perseus Jackson. All of you are required to return, and you shall return successful, understood?”

While the other two nodded, I replied slyly, “You aren’t our boss, you know.” 

Anastasia scolded, “Silena!” She turned back to Harli, “We will, you can trust us.” And with that, the three of us traveled back to the entrance of the hideout with suspiciously little resistance. The air felt thick with tension. Yet, this form wasn’t the same eerie threatening state it was before. Instead, dread and apprehension weighed down every move.

Nadia declared, “It’s a trap.”

I scoffed, “Oh it’s most certainly a trap.”

From the darkness, a voice spoke up, “Yet, you waltzed right into it regardless.” Standing there was Percy Jackson himself. Smirking, he readied his blade, asking, “You here to hand Nadia over or do I take her?”

Nadia stepped towards him, “No, we’re here to stop you.”

Percy burst out laughing, “Three new kids? You may be annoying, but the blond didn’t even fight and does the new brat even know what she’s up against?” He pointed to me, of course he did. 

Unfazed, I aimed an arrow at his head, “I’ve heard things.”

Percy’s demonic smirk grew, “Oh? Let’s see how long it takes before I destroy you this time.”

Before anyone moved, Anastasia yelled, “Wait! There’s a better way to handle this. I have an offer for you.” What? This wasn’t part of the plan. Yet, the look between the two cousins revealed it wasn’t spontaneous. Percy straightened up and Anastasia offered, “A dual to the death. You vs me. No help, including powers. If you kill me, Nadia returns to you. If I win, Tyche and the demigods come to camp.”

Percy glared at her, analyzing her words for bullshit, “Why should I? I can easily overpower you right here without limits.” He clearly tried to scare her, but Anastasia stood her ground, unflinching. 

Anastasia answered, “Because you don’t want to cause more pain than you think is necessary. It’s why we didn’t bring Leo or Thalia, because you don’t want to fight friends. Fighting all of us isn’t needed, only me. You won’t have your powers, but you’re against the weakest fighter and you know it. Do you doubt your own skills? A leader shouldn’t be self conscious.” Percy didn’t move. Nadia and I exchanged a nervous look. What if he turns her down? It’s our only chance! 

Percy yelled, “Tyche!” From the shadows, Tyche appeared. He nodded to her and she vanished once more. Percy turned back to Anastasia, “I accept. You best not go back on your word.”

Smiling, Anastasia lifted her blade, “I never do.” Time itself held its breath in anticipation as the two stared each other down. Out of nowhere, the two leapt towards each other, their blades clashing with a clang. Percy overpowered the girl, but she rolled to the side and sliced at his leg. He yelled in pain while kicking her in the chest. He threw down a strike and Anastasia held up her wrists instinctively. Luckily, the blade bounced harmlessly off her gauntlets. In a spin, she swept his legs out from under him and hopped to her feet. Percy dived into a side roll and pushed up to stab her. She barely managed to step to the side and blocked his follow through. Shifting her feet, she spun the two blades and sent Percy’s blade flying to the side. Growling, the boy punched Anastasia and kicked her in the gut. Anastasia fell into a backwards somersault and attempted to strike him in the gut. Surprised, he sidestepped and fell to one knee with his back to her. Something was off. I noticed Percy reaching into his pocket. Anastasia tried to strike him, but he spun around and revealed his blade just in time to block. 

As he got to his feet, Nadia exclaimed, “Hey Kelp Head, you really think playing the villain is the answer?” I saw the gray-haired girl, but heard the man I haven’t heard in years. They continued, “I know you, Perc. I know you don’t have the guts to be vile. You came back because the world needed a protector. But it doesn’t need us, not anymore. And you know it.” I looked back to the fight to see it’s reached a stalemate; Percy closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before shoving Anastasia back and going in for a jump strike. Anastasia dodged and tried to swipe at him, but he ducked under and their blades met in the middle once again. This time, however, Percy pulled the disarming tactic, sending Anastasia’s blade into the creek. Panic filled the air, but my body screamed at me to keep my place. This was our only chance. For once, I had to put my faith and fate into someone else’s hands. Percy raised his blade for the final strike and Anastasia’s gauntlets loosened and slid onto her hands. At the last possible second, she managed to catch the blade in her grasp. She struggled against the taller man for the sword; a light of an idea passing over her eyes. Lightening her grip, she leapt up and kicked the man in the chest with both feet. Dropping the weapon, he slid back across the ground. Flipping backwards, Anastasia landed on both feet with the weapon held ready for a counter strike. Percy barked like a rabid dog and charged at her. Closing her eyes, Anastasia aimed her blade and…

“It’s over Percy. Your time is up. You can rest easy now.”

The blade pierced the teen’s chest all the way through, sticking out the back. Percy’s expression melted into a relieved smile as the blade slid out and his body hit the ground. A silent beat and silent tears streamed down all of our faces without any of our realizations before another thud rang out.

Anastasia passed out in shock. Fair enough.


	17. Anastasia - Not Over Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the end! This had been such an adventure, I hope you enjoy this finale!

**17 Anastasia - Not Over Yet**

White. All I saw was white. White, and the faint smell of the ocean.

“Thank you.”

I spun around and spotted the very man I killed moments ago. Except it wasn’t at the same time. He appeared in his 40s, with grey hairs. His sea green eyes lost the sparkle and contained years of experience far beyond his physical age. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Like a man who’s traveled to the pits of the Underworld and back.

He lowered his gaze, “I guess, I’m in debt to you. I hurt your family and you still saved me. Thalia would have my head for what I did.”

Shaking my head, I protested, “No way, you did so much for everyone. I should be thanking you.”

The man knelt down so our eyes met, “Regardless, you did save me. You don’t have to be a child of a powerful god to be a hero. Even your weapon knew your destiny.” I looked down to see my pencil has returned and Percy’s pen’s returned to him. Percy chuckled, “You know, Will and the Apollo kids made a joke about my weapon. They would say those with writing blades would write the pages of destiny. Now, I think they might’ve been onto something.” He gently switched the tools and closed my hand, “Here. You’re gonna need this for what comes next.”

Confused, I questioned, “But, we killed you?”

Percy let out a saddened giggle, “You did, but I did not come alone. And, unlike me, they decided it was better to take a more… drastic approach. They’re striving for victory, and they won’t hold anything back.” 

I cried out, “What do you mean? Who?” But it was too late, for light overwhelmed my vision once more and the man vanished. 

“-Stasia? Anastasia!”

“Hey sunshine girl! Wake up!”

“Clarisse!”

Slowly, the soothing lights of the apothecary came into view as my vision cleared. Struggling to push myself up, I noticed our group, minus the two praetors, were all crowded around my bed, matching concerned expressions across their faces. Glancing down, I spotted the pen grasped tightly in my hand under the sheet.

Keith spotted it, “Is that…?” Unable to find my voice, I nodded. 

Will asked, “So you really… did it. But, how? What happened?” 

Silena shoved him back, “Better question, he clearly talked to you. What did he say?”

Taking a moment, I closed my eyes and spoke, “He gave me this pen, telling me I’d need it for ‘what comes next’.” 

Nadia’s eyes widened as she realized, “The rest of the seven.” Keith’s gaze darkened and I noticed Silena immediately pulled him into a side hug and held his hands in her own. She tried to give him a comforting smile, but only dim eyes were returned. 

Clarisse, in the corner, concluded, “If Jackson’s warning us, that means the others are gonna try something big. Something more significant than a single kidnapping.”

On cue, Harli ran in with a phone, exclaiming, “Apologies for the interruption, but this is drastic! Look at the news!” She pushed the screen into my hands and the adults pulled out their own phones. 

On the screen, the news reporter appeared terrified and nervous as they reported, “Yes you heard us right. Several continents around the world are experiencing deadly and strange happenings.” Next to him, several images that matched his words appeared as he continued, “In Africa, mountain-crumbling earthquakes are forming path-like pattern-” 

Silena concluded, “Hazel.”

“In South America, men are abandoning their families and migrating to an unknown location-”

Keith guessed, “Piper?”

“In Asia, riots are breaking out and violent fights growing to the point even the governments are helpless to stop them-”

Nadia growled, “Frank.”

“In Europe, a storm cloud is hovering over the continent in anticipation of... something. Oh!” The man pressed a finger to his ear, “We are getting word that a source of the storm has been located in Rome. To you, Carol.” The camera cut to the sight of a furious thunderstorm with the trees and buildings quivering below it. 

Carol yelled, muffled in the chaos, “We’re here, Jim! Yes, we do believe this was the reported spot where the storm appeared! There’s some sort of figure in the center. What… What is that? Can you zoom in?” But, even with the video quality, we could make it out clearly. It was a tenn boy. He had pale blond hair and similar electric blue eyes as Thalia’s. The black rim of his glasses appeared blue with electricity as he smirked through the screen at us.

He held up his hand of electric power as his voice thundered, “So, some ungrateful demigods want to kill their heroes. Very well…” Darkness filled the screen, leaving only his piercing blue eyes.

“Come and get me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this entire story! Let me know what you think! Comments and Kudos are appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! Kudos and comments are appreciated!


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